Mattresses From Larneca 'till we came in view of the Coast of Syria we had the Wind very favourable but at length coming to prove a little contrary instead of carrying us to Alexandretta it cast us to the Northward two or three Leagues higher upon the Coast of Cilicia toward a Town call'd Païasses Half a League from that City lyes a vast Rock and between that Rock and the Land runs a very high Sea And here it was that the people of the Country believe that the Whale cast up Jonas again though the common Opinion reports it to have been done near Joppa in Palestine All along that Coast from Alexandretta to Païasses and farther the way is so narrow and straiten'd by the Mountain that in some parts the Camels and Horses must dip their Feet in the Sea and yet you must pass that way of necessity travelling from Syria to Constantinople Between Alexandretta and Païasses it was that the Chevalier Paul in a Vessel that carry'd only three hundred Men miss'd but little of surprizing the Caravan that every Year carries the Tribute of Egypt to Constantinople which since hath never been sent by Sea for fear of the Maltesi This Knight had landed his Men and laid them in Ambuscade but unfortunately his Design was discover'd so that the Caravan that might have been easily surpriz'd stood upon their Guard We were near the Coast when we discover'd a Skiff with fifteen or sixteen Turks that were sent by him that commanded four Galleys of Rhodes to demand the Customary Present from our Captain Those Galleys then anchor'd at Païasses and had there discharg'd themselves of their Provisions of War for Bagdat which the Grand Signor was going to besiege And it is the custom that when the Great Turk's Galleys are out at Sea that whatever strange Vessel passes by them must send them a Present either willingly or by force When the Basha of the Sea who is the Admiral of the Turks is in Person at Sea the Vessel which he meets is not excus'd for 2000 Crowns so that when he sets out from Constantinople to cruise the Vessels of the Franks do all they can to avoid him There are some that will seek to escape in sight of the Galleys but it has cost them dear And it happen'd that one day the Wind slackning they boarded a Vessel of Marseilles the Captain and Notary whereof were both seiz'd and drub'd 'till their Bodies were almost bruis'd to a Gelly and they had like to have dy'd upon it without being the better in their Purses for the rudeness of the Chastisement did not excuse them from paying the Money which was demanded Whether our Captain knew any thing of this Example or whether it were out of his natural heat of Valour he laugh'd at the Skiff-men bidding them be gone and telling them he had no Presents for them but Cannon-Bullets Thereupon the Men return'd to their Galleys who soon deliver'd us from the true fear we were in that the gallantry of the Captain had drawn us into an inconvenience For while we kept the Sea close by the Coast to observe the Countenances of the Turks they weigh'd Anchor and turn'd their Prows toward Rhodes However before they left us they sent us a Broad-side and our Captain whatever we could say sent them another which render'd us more guilty For the Turks pretend that when their Navy is at Sea or only one Squadron and that a strange Vessel is in fight she is bound to come as near as the Wind will permit her without being hal'd for which they will otherwise make the Commander pay very severely The Consuls and Merchants of Aleppo understanding what had pass'd very much blam'd the Captain fearing a worse consequence of the business But by good fortune the miscarriage was stifl'd and never went farther The same day the Wind veering to the West-North-West we sail'd into the Road of Alexandretta where we came to an Anchor about a quarter of a League from the Land Upon the advice which they have out of Christendom so soon as they of Alexandretta discover a Vessel and know what Colours she carries the Vice-Consul of the Nation to which the Vessel belongs fails not to advertise the Consul of Aleppo by a Note which is carr'yd in four or five hours though it be more than two or three days journey on Horse-back For they tye a Note under the Wing of a Pigeon who is taught what to do and she flies directly to the place whence she was brought For more surety they usually send two that if the one should miscarry i' the dark which has many times happen'd the other may supply the defect Alexandretta is nothing else but a confus'd heap of paltry Houses inhabited by the Greeks who keep little Fudling-schools for the Mariners and others the meaner sort of the people for the Merchants lye at the Vice-Consuls of the Nation There were but two then the English Vice-Consul and the French who had each of them a very convenient dwelling However they must be Men who love Money at a strange rate that accept of those Employments For the Air like that of Ormus is generally so bad especially in the Summer in so much that they who do not dye cannot avoid very dangerous Distempers If there be any so strong that they can hold out for three or four Years and can accustom themselves to bad Air they do well to stay there for for them to betake themselves to a good Air is to hazard their Lives Mr. Philips the English Consul has been the only Person that ever liv'd two and twenty Years at Alexandretta but you must know he was a brisk merry Man and of an excellent temper of Body and yet for all that he had been forc'd to be cauteriz'd That which renders the Air so bad is the great quantity of standing Pools and Plashes in the neighbouring Plains extending to the East and South but when the great Heats begin to approach the most part of the Inhabitants retire to a Village call'd Belan upon the next Mountain to the City where there are very good Waters and excellent Fruits They come also thither from Aleppo when there is any appearance of a Pestilence and yet there are few people in this Village who are not troubl'd with a sort of Fever that makes their Eyes look yellow and hollow which they never can remedy as long as they live About half a League from Alexandretta on the right band of the High-way just against the Mersh on the other side is a Tower whereon are to be seen the Arms of Godfrey of Bulloign In all likelihood it was built for the defence of the High-way which is enclos'd between these two Mershes whose Exhalations are very noxious It is but three little days journey from Alexandretta to Aleppo and some well mounted have rid it in two The Franks are not permitted to go thither on Foot For before that Prohibition in regard the
There are an abundance of Silk-Weavers in Cachan that are very good Workmen which make all the best purfl'd Sattins mix'd with Gold and Silver that come out of Persia. There they also coyn Money and make Copper-vessels which they vend in great quantities at a good distance off The Market-houses are very fair ones and well vaulted the Inns large and convenient but there was one among the rest which was very magnificent near the King's Gardens at the entry of the City As well the Inn as the Gardens were made by the order of Sha-Abas the first of that Name who was at a vast charge The Inn is above a hundred Paces square built of Brick two Stories high containing twenty-six vaulted Chambers of a reasonable bigness It was a Structure too fair to be so little regarded as now it is being much faln to decay In the middle of the Court was a Fountain to receive Water which is spoil'd The Persians and Turks are of that bad humor rather to build new Houses than to repair old Buildings For which reason they have since built at Cachan four or five Inns as fair and commodious as that of Sha-Abas This Custom is grown to that height that the Children are so far from taking care to repair the old Houses where their Parents liv'd that they will not so much as live in them after their decease covetous of the honour of building Houses for themselves Before we leave Cachan you must take notice that as you travel from that City to Guilan you cannot avoid travelling thorough Plains for twelve hours together which are all pure Salt and there is nothing to be met with by the way but one Cistern nor can the Water which is in it be otherwise than very bad Leaving Cachan you cross a Plain of three Leagues after which you enter in among the Mountains where you come to a very fair Inn of Brick From thence you descend a pleasant Vale where you travel a long time by the side of a River over a very narrow way At the end of the Valley you meet a great Wall which crosses it and joyns the two Mountains together This Wall is above a hundred Paces long above thirty Foot thick and fifty high It was the Work of the Great Sha-Abas whose design it was to stop the Waters that fall from the Mountain and to make a Receptacle for Water in that place to serve his occasions At the foot of the Wall there is a Sluce which being let down keeps in the Water but is pull'd up to let out the Water over all the neighbouring Lands to the Plain of Cachan From this Receptacle to Corou is about two hours travel Corou is a very large Village and well peopl'd in a Soil environ'd with high Mountains and planted with great store of Walnut-trees The Houses consist but of one low Story being built of Flint-stones but the Inn therein is very fair and commodious This Village consists but of one Street but it is almost half a League long and very troublesom in the Winter by reason of a great River that runs through it and the great quantity of Stones that lye in the way All about this Village as in several other places of Persia there are a great number of Shacales which are a kind of Foxes that in the night time make an ugly noise for if but one cry all the rest will make answer and set up a howling From Corou you must travel three Leagues between Mountains after which you have but twelve Leagues to Ispahan It is a continued Plain that extends it self beyond the City and in many places the Soil is very good At every three Leagues end you meet with Inns. The first is call'd Achaha-Agakamala the second which is the half-way between Corou and Ispahan is call'd Michiacour This place consists not only of one Inn for there are many others so that it resembles a large Village From Michiacour you come to Aganura another Inn but ill built and from Aganura after you have travel'd three Leagues through a fat and fertil Country you come to Ispahan CHAP. VII Of the Road from Smyrna to Ispahan through Natolia SMyrna is at this day for Trade whether it be by Sea or Land one of the most celebrated Cities of all the Levant and the greatest Market for all sorts of Commodities which are transported out of Asia into Europe or out of Europe into Asia Hither all the Western Fleets are most regularly bound that came formerly no farther than Ligorn and from whence at times most regularly appointed the fairest Caravans set out This City lyes in 50 Degrees of Longitude and 38 Degrees 45 Minutes of Latitude at the bottom of a Gulf in the Archipelago which is seven Leagues in length upon the right side of the Isthmus which begins to form the Peninsula of Clazomene right against the Iland of Schio It lyes in that part of the Lesser Asia which the Greeks possess'd under the Name of Iconium at a distance almost equal between Ephesus and Sardis and was one of the seven Churches mention'd in the Revelation of St. John It is at this day a great City built like an Amphitheater upon the descent of a Hill that looks toward the Summer-West But it is neither so great nor so beautiful as formerly it was as may be easily conjectur'd by the Ruines of certain Edifices that remain upon that Hill which from the middle to the top where the ancient City stood are altogether uninhabited There are also to be seen the Walls of a fair Castle and above that the Ruines of an Amphitheater where they say St. Polycarp was expos'd to fight with Lions This Amphitheater was not in the form of those other which are usually round for it contain'd but half a Circle being left open to the Sea-side The Turks have almost quite destroy'd it making use of the Stones to build a Fort two Leagues from the City upon the Gulf where the passage is very narrow which the Ships are forc'd to salute as they enter in and to speak with when they sail out Moreover that they might not be put to send for Stones a-far off they consulted whether they might not make use of the Stones of the Christians Monuments as also of those of the Jews which are near the Shore But they took very few whether out of kindness to the Tombs or whether they did not think them so proper for use as the Stones of the Amphitheater This Castle had not been long built but upon an occasion very remarkable In the last Wars of the Turks with the Venetians the Ottoman Fleet having been beaten in the Archipelago the Grand Signor resolv'd to re-fit another to Sea and thereupon sent to all the parts of his Empire where he knew any English or Holland Vessels usually were wont to ride to solicit them to serve him for his Pay More particularly he aim'd at those Vessels which were in Smyrna where there
last day of our being in the Desert we met after some time with the ruines of some houses on both sides the way which made us conjecture that some great City had stood formerly in that place At length we came to Balsara which I shall describe in another place While I stay'd at Balsara which was about three weeks an Ambassador from the Great Mogul arriv'd there who from Constantinople went to Bagdat to congratulate the Grand Signor for the Conquest of that City which he had taken in so short a time The Emperour presented him with three stately Horses and a little Watch the Case whereof was set with Diamonds and Rubies But the Ambassador not knowing what belong'd to that little Engin winding it up the wrong way broke the string Coming to Balsara he sent to the Carmelites to desire them to mend his Watch for he fear'd the loss of his head should he return to his Master and not shew him the Watch entire It wat at their House that I then lay and therefore not knowing what to do with it they desir'd me to shew my skill Thereupon I put on a new string But the Ambassador when he understood to whom he was beholding though it were but a trifle profer'd me all the service and kindness imaginable Thereupon the Carmelites and Augustin Fryars desir'd me to request of the Ambassador in their behalf that he would obtain the Great Turks protection for them in case he took Balsara that their Houses and Churches might be preserv'd which I did and obtain'd by his means full protection from the Grand Visier But they had no need of it for the Turks did not make any attempt upon Balsara hearing that the Persians were advancing besides that the rainy season was at hand which will not permit an Army to keep the Field So that had Bagdat held out eight days longer the Grand Signor would have been constrain'd to have rais'd the Siege Having spoken of the Arabian Horses I must needs say that there are some that are valu'd at a very high rate The Mogul's Ambassador gave for some three four and six thousand Crowns and for another he offer'd eight thousand Crowns but the Horse would not be sold under ten and so he left it When he was got home into the Indies and had presented the Mogul those Horses which he had carry'd along with him being very lovely Creatures he told his Master how he had offer'd eight thousand Crowns for a Horse more beautiful than any of them but because the Owner would not let him go under ten he left him The King incens'd that his Ambassador had stood for so small a Sum when it was for one of the greatest Monarchs in the World upbraided the poorness of his Spirit and banish'd him for ever from his presence into a Province far distant from the Court Thereupon the King wrote to the English to buy him the Horse who accordingly did so and brought him to Surat where the Governour re-paid them their Money But the Horse dy'd at Brampour Nor must I forget that while I was at Balsara twice there flew by such a prodigious number of Locusts that a-far-off they appear'd like a Cloud and darkn'd the Air. They pass by Balsara four or five times in the year the Wind carrying them into the Desert where they alight and most certainly dye Should they not be thus wind-driv'n there could nothing live upon the Earth in some parts of Chaldea They swarm all along the Persian Gulf and when the Vessels come to Ormus at the time of the year there are little Shops where people sell Locusts fry'd in Butter to those that love that sort of Diet. Once I had the curiosity to open the Belly of a Locust six Inches long and found therein seventeen little ones that stirr'd whence it is easie to guess how those Insects come to be so numerous especially in hot Countries There are several Barks that go from Ormus to furnish both sides of the Persian Gulf where the people eat neither Bread nor Rice I agreed with the Master of one of these Barks and made my agreement that the Bark should not be above half laden for generally they lade them too deep and in foul weather they are forc'd to throw half the Freight over-board to save the rest From Balsara to the mouth of the River Euphrates it is reck'nd to be twenty Leagues of Fresh-water We staid seven whole days for a Wind which proving favourable we came to Brander-ric in forty-eight hours This is the place where you must land if you intend for Persia unless you are bound for Ormus Brander-ric consists only of five or six little Fishers Hutts which Hutts are only Hurdles set one against another and cover'd over where they and their Families live To the same place come Asses lad'n with Dates which I was forc'd to hire for want of Horses We were six days upon the Road from thence to Cazerom This is a Mountainous Country where there is Wood enough but you must lodge in the Fields for there are no Inns upon the Road. The way is pleasant in some places along the Banks of several Rivulets and through verdant Groves stor'd with great quantities of Turtles We kill'd a good many which we eat part with Pilaw instead of Henns some we rosted making Sticks to serve for Spits Cazerom is a little City ill built where there is but one Inn and that none of the most inviting to Strangers neither From Cazerom to Schiras it is five days journey The Road lyes over very craggy Mountains which had been impassable but for the Liberality of Ali-Couli-Kan Governour of Schiras He made Ways where there were none before and joyn'd Mountains together by Bridges in Countries which otherwise had been inaccessible In the midst of the Mountains is a wide gap or discontinuance from whence a Plain extends it self of about twenty Leagues in circuit It is inhabited by Jews only who are Silk-Weavers In these Mountains you meet with Tents where the Chaldeans sojourn that come for cool Air and Pasturage in the Summer Coming to Schiras I took Horse there for Ispahan where I arriv'd in nine days The Country over which you travel between these two Cities is part Plains part Mountains part wild and part manur'd Three days journey from Schiras you pass the Mountain of Mayen a little City where there is nothing worthy observation Two days journey from thence you enter upon the Plains of the Province of Cuscuzar where the King of Persia keeps his Race-Horses The next day I arriv'd at Yesdecas where the best Bread in Persia is made This is a little City upon a Rock wherein there is a very fair Inn at the foot whereof runs a little River that glides into the Valley wherein grows that excellent Corn which is utter'd in Bread from that City In three days I went from Yesdecas to Ispahan This was the first Road from Aleppo to Ispahan
Japan and in all the Ilands of the East like Latin in Europe not reck'ning the little Moresco or Gibbrish of the Country So that it is a difficult thing to observe what is talk'd in one Company where the Discourse begins in one Language is pursu'd in another and finish'd in a third and for the Turks and Armenians they never speak above three or four Languages at most Now to shew you the Civility of the Persians the Master of the Ceremonies came to the Ambassador and told him that if he did not like the Cookery of the Persians he had Order from the Atemadoulet who is as the Grand Vizier in Turkie to offer him Money instead of Diet to the end he might dress his own Meat as he pleas'd himself Upon which the covetous Ambassador accepted his offer and two hours after there was a Bag brought him of 50 Tomans which amount to about 800 Crowns The Franks being offended at his baseness slighted the Ambassador and left him to keep House by himself which was poor enough God knows an Onion or a Turnep serving his turn for a Meal Some days after he had Audience of the King to whom he presented his Letters Credential from the Pope the Emperour the King of Poland and the Commonwealth of Venice Those from the three last were well receiv'd because the Seals were of Gold and for that the Paper was embelish'd with curious Flourishes but the Pope's Letters were rejected with scorn because the Seals were only of Lead as the Bulls are usually seal'd and for that the Writing was very plain For the Kings of Persia who are very nice love things that are gay to the Eye otherwise they look upon themselves to be affronted Dominico de Santis had better have tak'n upon him the meaner quality of an Envoy than the title of an Ambassador unless he had known better how to behave himself especially being so eclips'd as he was by a real Ambassador that arriv'd at Ispahan some time after All the Franks went forth to meet him and the Master of the Ceremonies made him the same proffers as he had done to the Venetian but he nobly answer'd That whatever it were that the King of Persia sent him he should take it for a very great Honour otherwise if he would have eaten Gold the King his Master would have allow'd him 30 Mules Load Such persons as behave themselves with decency and a good grace are the persons that the Christian Princes should send into Persia who are the most refin'd Wits and the best Politicians of all Asia To conclude the Story of the Venetian I will give you his Character An Indian naturally of a good Wit having embrac'd Christianity and an Ecclesiastical Life went to Rome to complete his Studies which he had begun at Goa whither the Pope taking an affection to him sent him afterward as his Vicar Dominico de Santis being then at Rome put himself into his service and follow'd him into the Indies where I saw him the first time I went in a mean condition Upon his return to Venice where he was in no credit before he made people believe that he understood the Trade of Asia whereupon some particular Merchants trusted him with some Goods which were cast away at Seide Thus poor and bare he return'd to Goa where he got 800 Crowns by a charitable Contribution From thence he travel'd to Ispahan where he fell into the acquaintance of Father Rigordi a Jesoite with whom he went into Poland where making his brags of the great knowledge he had of the Affairs of Persia the King gave him that Commission which I have already mention'd The Emperour follow'd his Example and the Commonwealth of Venice did the same and to give the more lustre and authority to his Embassy they got the Pope to joyn with them But alas both Dominico de Santis and all such persons as he that go into Asia without Brains and good Behaviour do out prostitute the Reputation of the Princes that send them Such another was Father Rigordi who after he had been thrust out of Goa by the Portugals went to Ispahan where he insinuated himself by a Proposition which he made of Marrying the King of Persia who was then a very young Prince to the Dutchess of Orleanoe Under which pretence he was well receiv'd and treated by the King from whom he also recerv'd some Presents by virtue of that Proposal which was good sport to the Dutchess when she heard of it As for the Venetian the Atemudoulet who was very glad to be rid of him desir'd the Muscovite Ambassador who was then upon his return home to take him along with him which he did as far as the Caspian Sea where they take Shipping for Astracan but there the Muscovite told him he could carry him no further thereupon he was forc'd to come back to Ispahan and so to travel to Goa whence the Portugals shipt thim home for Charities sake But when he came to Venice has was so far from being well receiv'd that the Senate had like to have punish'd him severely for giving so bad an account of his Negotiation CHAP. VI. Of the Road which the Author kept when he Travell'd the fourth time into Asia to go from Paris to Ormus And first of his Voyage from Marseilles to Alexandretta ISet out from Paris in the company of Monsieur d'Ardiliere the eighteenth of June 1651. and arriv'd at Marseilles the sixteenth of July On the twenty-sixth of August we set Sail with a favourable North-West Wind that blew very briskly the two next days but at length it grew so very slack that coming about to the North. North-East we made for Sardinia Upon the second of September by Sun-rising we discover'd the Western Coast of Sardinia six Leagues from the Land About Noon the Wind chopping about again to the North-West we held on our first Course and upon the third of September we descry'd the Island Galita upon the Coast of Africa On the fourth we discover'd the Island of Zambino before Tunis and about Evening Cape Bon which is the most Southerly Point of all Africa The fifth we had a sight of the Island of Pantalaria and the Coast of Sicily The sixth we discover'd the Island of Goza and the seventh the Castle that bears the same name We landed at Malta upon the day of the Nativity of the Virgin which is a great day among the Maltesi upon which they give thanks to God for that the Turks rais'd their Siege upon that day The Grand-Master goes to the Church of St. John accompany'd with all the chief Commanders in their Robes of Command and the greatest part of the Knights All the Country-men and Citizens are up in Arms upon that day and march to the Inn call'd the Auvernian-house with the Knight that goes to fetch the Standard This Knight is clad in a Cassock of Crimson-Velvet with a Cross of the Order before and behind He wears a
the heat of the Sun-beams and if you set a Candle by it in the night you might read two hundred Paces off in your Bed by the reflection From Lyons I rode to Marseilles and set Sail for Ligorn the tenth of January 1664. in a small Bark but being scar'd by a great Vessell that we saw off at Sea we came to an Anchor in the Port of Agaïe two Leagues from Frejus where there stood a pittiful Fort with two or three Houses There we also went ashore and saw a Garden the Alleys of which were distinguish'd with rows of Citron and Orange Trees which look'd as Green in the depth of Winter as in the midst of Summer with several other curiosities after the mode of Italy We were no sooner got aboard again but we perceiv'd another Vessel making into the same Port with sull Sail. It was a Vessel which the Masters of the Forein Office at Toulon had set out to force all Ships that were bound into Italy to pay certain Customs which those of Marseilles would not pay when they came into the Port of Toulon Thereupon foreseeing that there would be mischief done I call'd for my little Chests that contain'd my Goods of greatest value carrying some part my self and giving the rest to one of my most trusty Servants thinking to have skipt into a Genoa Bark that lay hard by us but instead of leaping a-board I fell into the Sea where by reason of the Tumult I had perish'd without relief had I not by good fortune laid hold of a Cable and redeem'd my self At what time one of my Servants luckily coming to my ayd with much ado drew me up safe again Having escap'd this danger I got a-shoar with such of my Servants as I had about me and meeting with a Bark of Frontignan that carry'd Languedock-Wine to the Coast of Italy I hir'd him for Ligorn and setting Sail we first touch'd Villa-franca and afterwards at Monaco At Monaco I went a-shoar and went to wait upon Madam the Princess who shew'd me the Rarities in the Castle among the rest several pieces of extraordinary Painting several pieces of Clock-work and Goldsmiths-work But among all her Curiosities she shew'd me two pieces of Crystal about the bigness of two Fists each in one of which there was above a Glass full of Water in the other a good quantity of Moss which were clos'd in by Nature when the Crystal first congeal'd Monaco is a Castle situated upon a steep Rock advancing out into the Sea which advantage together with others which it receives from Art and Nature renders it one of the most considerable Forts in Italy The next day finding the Frontignan-Vessel to be deep-laden and that it made little way I took a Faluke and kept along by the Shoar which was most pleasantly adorn'd with beautiful Villages and Houses as far as Savona where I chang'd my Faluke to compleat the rest of the way which I had to Genoa Half the way we did very well but the Wind rising we were forc'd to put in to a great Town where we landed and from thence having but nine Miles I got in good time by Horse to Genoa There can be no Prospect certainly more pleasing than that nine Miles riding For on the one side you see nothing but a continu'd Row of magnificent Buildings and lovely Gardens on the other a calm Shoar upon which the Waves seem not to beat but lovingly to kiss Arriving at Genoa I met with the rest of my Servants and at the end of two days I embarqu'd for Ligorn where we arriv'd in four and twenty hours From Ligorn I went to the Court of Florence to wait upon the Grand Duke By whom I had the honour to be admitted into his Chamber where I found no body attending but one Mute who had a long time serv'd his Highness and I observ'd that they understood one another by Signs as perfectly as if the Mute had had his Speech and Hearing So that when-ever the Duke sent him into his Closet for any Papers or other thing whatsoever he never fail'd to bring the right After I had tak'n my leave of the Duke he sent me a noble Present of Wine and Fruits but that which I valu'd more than all the rest was a Case of Medicaments and Counter-poysons in the composition whereof the Italians are very exquisite And yet they did me no service for when I came into the hot Countries their fermentation was so strong that all the Oyls and Treacles broke their several Boxes that I could save nothing of that precious Present The next day being the twenty-sixth of March 1664 I embarqu'd with all my Servants in a Dutch Vessel call'd The Justice The twenty-seventh we staid in the Road expecting the rest of the Fleet consisting of eleven Ships two Men of War and nine Merchant-mon four of which were bound for Smyrna three for Ancona and two for Venice About seven that evening we set Sail and all that night the Wind was favourable but blew hard and veer'd often which was the reason that two of our Fleet separated from us steering between the Isle of Elbe and Corsica while we kept on between the Isle of Elba and Italy The twenty-eighth by eight in the Morning we found our selves between Porto Ferraro and Piombino and it being fair Weather we had a pleasant prospect of those two places From thence we steer'd between two Ilands the one call'd Palmajela the other being nameless About six hours after we saw Portolongone afterwards at a distance we descry'd Monte-Christo An hour after Noon we discover'd Castiglon-sore all the rest of the day we coasted by the Ilands of Gigio and Sanuti The twenty-ninth with the same Wind at North-West by Morning we discover'd the Ilands of Pontia and Palmerola and about Evening those of Ventitione and Ischia Night approaching and there being no news of the Ships we had lost instead of making the Pharo of Messina it was resolv'd that we should steer a Course round about Messina where we expected to overtake them At eleven a Clock in the Evening we had but little Wind at North-North-West so that we made not above fourteen Leagues of way The thirty-first the same Wind continu'd with a high Sea but about nine at Night the Wind chopping about to the West we kept our former Course The first of April by eight of the Clock in the Morning we discover'd the three Ilands that lye before Trepano Levanzo Maretima and Favagna The second and third the Weather was ill and the Wind unconstant so that we made but little way The fourth by break of day we discover'd the Iland of Pantalarea The fifth by Morning we found our selves within a League and a half of the Coast of Sicily just against Cape Passaro at what time the Weather being fair we had a view of Mount Gibello all cover'd with Snow Doubling the Cape in the Afternoon we discover'd the Coast of Saragossa The sixth
we had little or no Wind. But the seventh in the Morning the Weather being fair we discover'd Cape Spartivento and the same Wind continuing all that day toward Evening we sail'd in view of other Ilands of Calabria The eighth we found our selves near to Cape Borsano and all the rest of the day we sail'd in view of Cape Stillo and Cape delle Colonne The ninth we made little way But on the tenth in the Morning the Wind coming about to the South we found our selves at the Entry of the Gulf of Venice between Cape St. Mary and the Coast of Greece where the Mountains were cover'd with Snow About ten of the Clock we tack'd to our own Course while the Ships that were bound for Venice and Ancona entred the Gulf. The tenth by Morning we saw two little Islands the one call'd Fauno the other Merlera and were in sight of Corfu About Noon the Wind being at East we kept out at Sea and about Evening abundance of little Birds lighted upon our Cordage of which we caught enow to make a lusty Fricassie We also caught four Falcons Owls and good store of Turtles The eleventh and twelfth the Wind being at East we lay hovering about the Shoar without making any way The fourteenth and fifteenth having the Wind at North-West we were two days without seeing Land yet we caught good store of Birds The sixteenth the same Wind continuing we found our selves near the Island of Zant. From eight in the Morning 'till three in the Afternoon we were becalm'd but then a good brisk West Wind carry'd away all our little Birds The seventeenth and eighteenth we were becalm'd The nineteenth in the Morning the Wind being at North-West we discover'd Cape Gullo between Modon and Coron in the Morea The twentieth with the same Wind that blew fresh we found our selves by Morning within two Cannon-shot of Cape Matapan which is the most Southern Cape of all Europe About Noon the Wind coming full West in three hours we pass'd by the Point of the Island Cerigo The twenty-first in the Morning we discover'd the Islands of Caravi and Falconera on the one side and Cape Schilli on the other hand Two hours after having a fresh Gale at South-West about Evening we were in view of the Island of St. George The twenty-second though the Wind slackn'd yet we made some way for in the Morning we found our selves between the Island of Zea and the Morea near to another Cape delle Colonne afterwards we discover'd the Island of Negropont and doubl'd the Cape three hours after Noon having left sight of the Island of Andros by ten in the Forenoon The twenty-third the Wind blowing fresh all the night by morning we found our selves near the Island of Ipsera At noon we made the Point of the Island of Chio near to the Land and that night we came to an Anchor near the Castle being becalm'd The twenty-fourth the Wind rose at North-West which blew us into the Port of Smyrna The twenty-fifth we went a-shoar having had as quiet a passage as ever I had in my Life for twenty days together CHAP. II. A Continuation of the Author's sixth Voyage as he travel'd from Smyrna to Ispahan WE staid at Smyrna from the twenty-fifth of April to the ninth of June during which time there happ'nd so terrible an Earthquake that I had like to have tumbl'd out of my Bed The Caravan being ready to set out for Tauris I took with me three Armenian Servants besides those that I carry'd out of France to serve me upon the Road. We set out of Smyrna upon Monday the ninth of June at three a Clock in the afternoon The Caravan rendevouz'd at Pont-garbashi three Leagues from the City consisting of six hundred Camels and almost the same number of Horse We set out the next night two hours after midnight As for the Road I shall say nothing only relate some Passages that fell out by the way Being come to Erivan the fourteenth of September we encamp'd in a pleasant green place between the Castle and the old Town for we would not lye in the Inn because we heard that several sick people lodg'd there We staid there two days during which time I resolv'd to wait upon the Kan I found him in a Room made in one of the Arches of the Bridge which is built over the River which I have describ'd already with several Captains and Officers about him when he had ask'd me whence I came and whither I was travelling he caus'd a Glass of Liquor to be fill'd me After that I presented him with a Prospective-Glass six pair of ordinary Spectacles twelve other pair of Spectacles that cast several Reflexions two little Pistols and a Steel to strike Fire made like a Pistol All which pleas'd him extremely well especially the Spectacles for he was sixty years of age Thereupon he commanded a Lamb Wine Fruit and Melons to be carry'd to my Tent and that I should want nothing After that we sate down to Dinner but I observ'd the Kan himself drank no Wine though he press'd me to it The reason was because he was an Agis that is one that had made his Pilgrimage to Mecca for then it is not lawful to drink Wine or any other inebriating Drink After Dinner finding him in a pleasant humour I resolv'd to complain to him of one of the Custom-Officers about an injury he had done me For it is usual with the Customer in this place to op'n the Chests of all the Merchants both Turks and Armenians to the end that if they have any thing of Rarity the Kan of Erivan may see it for many times he buyes what pleases him best to send to the King This Officer would not excuse me for his Custom and therefore at my very first arrival he would have me to op'n my Chests and because I did not do it according to his Orders he ask'd me very rudely why I had not obey'd his Commands I answer'd him as surlily that I would op'n my Chest no where unless it were in the presence of the King and that as for him I knew him not Upon that he threaten'd me that if he did not find my Chests op'n the next day he would op'n them by force thereupon I said no more but bid-him have a care I did not make him repent of what he had done already This was the ground of the Quarrel and I was about to have complain'd to the Kan but his Nephew intreated me for the love I bare him not to say any thing of it and promis'd to send the Customer to me to beg my Pardon which he did and the Customer was forc'd to crave it heartily To avoid the same inconvenience for the future I desir'd the Kan to give me his Pasport to the end I might pass Custom-free through the Territories of his Government which he freely and courteously granted me Come said he and dine with me to morrow and you
where the people live in little Hutts made of the Branches of Palm-trees From Bagdat to Anna you ride in four days through a desert Country though it lye between two Rivers Anna is a City of an indifferent bigness that belongs to an Arabian Emir For about half a League round about the Town the Lands are very well manur'd being full of Gardens and Country-houses The City for its situation resembles Paris for it is built upon both sides of the River Euphrates and in the midst of the River is an Island where stands a fair Mosquee From Anna to Mached-raba is five days riding and from Mached-raba to Taïba five days more Mached-raba is a kind of a Fortress upon the point of a Hill at the Foot whereof springs a Fountain like a large Vase which is very rare in the Deserts The place is encompass'd with high Walls defended by certain Towers and in which are little Hutts where the Inhabitants keep their Cattel of which there is great store but more Mares and Horses than Cows Taïba is also a fortifi'd place in a level Country or a high Bank of Earth and Brick bak'd in the Sun Near to the Gate a Fountain springs out of the Earth and makes a kind of a Pond This Road is most frequented by those that travel through the Desert from Aleppo or Damas to Babylon or from Damas to Diarbequir by reason of this Fountain From Taïba to Aleppo is but three days journey but these three days are the most dangerous of all the Road for Robbers in regard that all the Country is inhabited only by the Bedouïns or Arabian Shepherds who make it their business only to plunder and steal Now to take the same Road from Aleppo to Ispahan it lyes thus From Aleppo to Taïba days 3 From Taïba to Mached-raba days 5 From Mached-raba to Anna days 5 From Anna to Bagdat days 4 From Bagdat to Bourous days 1 From Bourous to Charaban days 1 From Charaban to Casered days 1 From Casered to Conaguy days 1 From Conaguy to Cassiscerin days 1 From Cassiscerin to another Conaguy days 1 From Conaguy to Erounabad days 1 From Erounabad to Maidacht days 1 From Maidacht to Sahana days 1 From Sahana to Kengavar days 1 From Kengavar to Nahoüand days 1 From Nahoüand to Oranguie days 1 From Oranguie to Comba days 1 From Comba to Consar days 1 From Consar to Ispahan days 1 So that whether you travel from Aleppo to Ispahan or from Ispahan to Aleppo you may easily ride it in thirty days From whence I make this Observation That a man making it but two days more from Alexandretta and finding a Ship ready there to set Sail for Marseilles with a fair Wind he may travel from Ispahan to Paris in two months Another time having an occasion to go from Aleppo to Kengavar and so to Bagdat and from thence so through the Desert at Bagdat I met with a Spaniard that was travelling the same way with whom I luckily met to bear half the Charges of the Guide which as soon as we had hir'd for sixty Crowns we set forward from Bagdat the Spaniard and I and our Arabian who was afoot walk'd about Pistol Shot before our Horses From thence to Anna we met with nothing remarkable but only that we saw a Lyon and a Lyoness in the Act of Generation Whereupon our Guide believing we had been afraid told us that he had met them oft'n but that he never found them do any harm The Spaniard according to the humour of his Nation was very reserv'd and contenting himself with an Onion or some such small matter at meals never made much of his guide whereas I was mightily in his favour in regard there was never a day pass'd wherein he did not receive of me some good business or other We were not above a Musquet Shot from Anna when we met with a comely old man who came up to me and taking my Horse by the Bridle Friend said he come and wash thy feet and eat Bread at my House Thou art a Stranger and since I have met thee upon the Road never refuse me the favour which I desire of thee The Invitation of the old man was so like the custom of the people in ancient times of which we read so many Examples in Scripture that we could not choose but go along with him to his House where he Feasted us in the best manner he could giving us over and above Barly for our Horses and for us he kill'd a Lamb and some Hens He was an Inhabitant of Anna and liv'd by the River which we were oblig'd to cross to wait upon the Governour for our Passports for which we paid two Piasters apiece We staid at a House near the Gate of the City to buy Provisions for our selves and our Horses where the woman of the House having a lovely sprightly Child of nine years of age I was so taken with her humour that I gave her two Handkerchiefs of Painted Calicut which the Child shewing her Mother all we could do could not make her take any Money for the Provisions we had agreed for Five hundred paces from the Gate of the City we met a young man of a good Family for he was attended by two Servants and rode upon an Ass the hinder part of which was Painted red He accosted me in particular and after some Compliments that pass'd Is it possible said he that I should meet a Stranger and have nothing to present him withall He would fain have carry'd us to a House in the Country whether he was going but seeing we were resolv'd to keep our way he would needs give me his Pipe notwithstanding all the excuses I could make and though I told him that I never took any Tobacco so that I was constrain'd to accept of it About three Leagues from Anna we were going to eat among the Ruines of certain Houses and had thought to have lain there 'till midnight when we perciv'd two Arabians sent by the Emir to tell us that he had some Letters which he would put into our own hands to the Basha of Aleppo to which purpose he had order to bring us back There was no refusing so that at our coming into the City the next day we saw the Emir going to the Mosquée mounted upon a stately Horse and attended by a great number of people afoot with every one a great Poniard stuck in their Girdles As soon as we saw him we alighted and standing up by the Houses we saluted him as he pass'd by Seeing our Guide and threatning to rip up his Belly Ye Dog said he I will give ye your reward and teach ye to carry Strangers away before I see them Carry them said he to the Governours House 'till I return from the Mosquée Returning from the Mosquée and being seated in a spacious Hall he sent for us and our Guide whom he threatn'd again for carrying us out of the Town without giving him
condition Others more refin'd and not believing material enjoyments affirm that Beatitude consists in the perfect knowledge of the Sciences and for the sences they shall have their satisfaction according to their quality CHAP. XX. The Author departs from Ispahan to Ormus and describes the Road to Schiras I Set forth out of Ispahan the 24. of Feb. 1665. in the afternoon and stai'd a League from the City in a field whither some of my friends would needs accompany me About ten a clock at night I set forward again and travell'd till break of day and then I came to a place where the Radars kept guard half a league from a great Town call'd Ispshaneck which you are to cross About ten a clock in the forenoon I came to Mahiar where there is a very good Inn. But the Land between this and Ispahan is all very barren and without wood The 26 th three hours after midnight I set forward through a dry Plain which begins to grow more fruitful about a League from Comshe a great City where I arriv'd by eleven a Clock in the morning In it are several Inns and indifferent handsome ones considering that they are built only of Earth This City is compos'd of a row of Villages that extend about half a League in length About three quarters of a League on this side the City stands a neat Mosquee with a pond full of fish But the Moullahs will not permit you to catch any saying that they belong to the Prophet to whom the Mosquee is dedicated However because it is a shady place in the Summer Travellers rather choose to lye by this pond then to shut themselves up in the City The 27 th I travell'd from four in the morning till ten in the forenoon through a plain sow'd with store of grain and lodg'd in an Inn call'd Maksoubegui The 28 th I departed two hours after midnight and after eight hours travel through a barren plain I arriv'd at Yesdecas a little City built upon a rock in the midst of a great Valley and lodg'd in an Inn at the foot of the Rock The same day in the morning I pass'd on to a neat house with sine Gardens call'd Amnebad built by Iman-Kouli-Kan Governor of Schiras The first of March I departed an hour after midnight and a little after I cross'd a short mountain but so rugged and so craggie that they have given it the name of Kotel-Innel-tebekeni that is the Mountain that breaks the Horses shoes The next day we pass'd by a scurvy Castle call'd Gombessala then travelling through a flat Country I came by ten in the morning to Dehigherdou or the Village of Wall-nuts I endur'd very sharp weather all the morning for all that Country and that which I travell'd the next day is very cold at some times of the year The second day I travell'd from midnight till ten a clock in the morning through the Snow over a barren Plain to come to Cuzkuzar where there is a new Inn well built The third I was a horseback from five in the morning till noon first over the same Plain by a Lake side in a very bad way cover'd with snow that hid the holes then passing a tedious long and rugged mountain I descended to a Village call'd Asepas where there is to be seen an old ruin'd Castle upon the point of a Hill The Inhabitants were all Georgians by descent but now turn'd all Mahumetans I met with wine and fish in regard of the many Rivolets but the Caravahsira is old and ill provided The fourth setting out by day-break I rode over a Plain which Sha Abbas the first gave the Georgians to till and in eleven hours I came to Ondgiom a large Village upon a River over which there is a fair stone bridge The fifth I got a horseback by two a clock in the morning and had two leagues in the first place of deep miery way afterwards I pass'd a steep Mountain craggy and durty I pass'd through a Village call'd Iman Shade from the name of one of their Prophets that lyes buried there and gave the Mountain its name being all cover'd with bitter Almond-trees I travell'd sometime between rude and craggy rocks after which I met with a small River which runs to Mayn a little City where I lodg'd in a fair Inn. The sixth I departed three hours after midnight and travell'd through a large Plain encompass'd with high and rugged Mountains upon one of which that is divided from the other stood a Castle which they say was ruin'd by Alexander the Great of which at present there does not remain the least sign or footstep I cross'd the river of Mayne over two stone Bridges and then came to Abgherme a place that stands in a Plain where there is an Inn half built so call'd by reason of a Spring of hot waters that rises not far from it In the morning I pass'd over a fair and long Causey call'd Pouligor being above 500 paces long and 15 broad divided also by certain Bridges to give the water free passage by reason the Country is very full of mershes At the end of this Causey stands an Inn very well built but the gants that haunt it will not suffer it to be frequented I pass'd along by the foot of a Mountain and after three hours travel I stopp'd a while at an Inn that stands at the foot of another steep and craggie mountain I arriv'd at Schiras about six a clock at night But here give me leave before I enter the City to make two observations the one touching the Road from Ispahan to Schiras the other concerning the ruins of Tche-elminar As to the Road from Ispahan to Schiras observe that in winter time when the Snow is fallen when you come to Yesdecas you must of necessity leave the direct road because it is impossible to pass the streights of those Mountains which I have mention'd Therefore you must keep the left hand road eastward through the Plains taking a guide along with you This way which is the longer by two days journey was formerly unknown because of a River that in one place beats upon a steep rock and closes up the passage But Iman-Kouli-Kan with a vast expence of time and money caus'd a way to be levell'd out of the Rock about 15 or 20 foot above the River which he secur'd to the water-side with a Wall three or four foot high This way continues for half a league and then you come to lye at a great Village in a Plain where you take Guides to shew you the Fords of the River Having past the River you cross over several fertil Plains water'd with great store of Rivers Then you ascend a Mountain from whence you have but a league and a half to Tche-clminar At the point of the Mountain upon the right-hand of the great Road are to be seen twelve Pillars still standing that form a kind of a square In the spaces of the Mountain
situated upon a Cold Sea But Ouffha is a midland Town 500 miles from Cassan which is near the Volga The Kalmukes are accounted good Souldiers being kept in continual Exercise by the Muscovites on the one side the Nagoyans and Cassachy-Horda on the other Their unmarried Women do not only accompany the Men unto the Wars but are said to be little inferiour unto the Men in Skill and Valour shooting almost as strongly and dexterously as the men from whom they cannot be distinguished by their Garb being apparelled and riding much after the same manner Both Men and Women in all their Expeditions seldom carry along with them fewer than 5 or 6 Horses apiece I cannot precisely determine what their Religion is but I do perceive by Converse with them that they have a more favourable opinion of the Christians than of the Mahumetans or of some of their fellow Ethnicks for if I mistake not they are Heathens I not being able to discern among them any Religious Worship excepting some kind of Adoration which they pay unto the Sun and Moon They have a very peculiar kind of Diet for besides Horse-flesh which is a great Dainty they scruple not to eat Snakes Adders Foxes and indeed even Carrion of divers sorts of Creatures such Food as to Europeans would be intollerable even in the greatest Famine They wear a kind of Caps or Hatts which are called by the Muscovites Coulpackes open before and behind with broad Brims on each side And thereupon they are called by the other Tartars Calmukes Eastward from these Calmukes inclining unto the South towards China live the Yurgeachians so named from their chief Town which some call Yurgeach others Jurgench Of which Countrey I cannot say so much as concerning the former having never been therein but once for in the Year 1620. there being great Wars in Jurgeach between the Chan or King and the Myrsa his Son some of the Nagoy Tartars hearing thereof invaded the Countrey who whilst they were united durst not peep out of their own Borders the Jurgeachians being a numerous and warlike People These Nagoys were all Volunteers who went without any Command from their own Prince or Allowance from the Muscovites without whose consent by mutual Agreement they are not permitted to war The news of their Expedition being brought unto Astracan the Voyvod who had not long before made a League with the Jurgeachians sent out Allye I suppose his true Name was Ali or Hali Myrsa a Tartarian Prince with a 1000 of his own Subjects and 500 Russes all Horse We were 20 days marching before we came unto the Borders of Jurgeach from Astracan whence we proceeded 10 days journey the Countrey through which we passed being miserably ravaged by the aforesaid Nagoys At the end of which 30 days by a reasonable Computation 't was judged we were distant from Astracan at least a 1000 miles about which time we overtook them in the Valley of Ougogura having got from the Jurgeachians an innumerable company of Cattle of divers sorts as Horse Kine Camels and Sheep We took all their Booty from them and as a further punishment for their Riot took away their own supernumerary Horses leaving them only a Horse a Man for to convey them home Then Ally Myrsa divided the Spoil half he bestowed upon those who did accompany him and sent the remainder for a Present unto the Voyvod returning nothing unto the Jurgeachians because they were taken from Thieves In the mean while the Prince of Jurgeach in a pitcht Battel overthrew his Father took him Prisoner put out both his Eyes and caused himself to be Crowned King He had a younger Brother whom fearing that in time he might occasion some insurrection he gave Command unto some of his Creatures that they should strangle him and bring his Head But divers of the Nobles by whose means he obtained the Soveraignty gaining intelligence thereof would not permit his Order to be put in execution but seizing on the Child sent him unto the Emperour of Muscovy with whom he re-mained when I was last at Astracan But I must return from the Jurgeachians unto the Caragans whom I have left behind and they do more immediately refer unto my promise which was to give an Account of all the Nations and Countreys incompassing the Caspian Sea The Countrey of the Caragans occupies most of that vast space which intercedes between the River Yeike and the Dominions of the Ousbegs or Tartars of Bouchara and their Territory surrounds the North-East corner of the Caspian Sea proceeding Southwards unto the River Jaxartes and some Hords of the said People do inhabit between the said River and the Oxus which divides the Tartars of Bochara and the Caragans from the Persians and the Tartars of Balk This Countrey of the Caragans is very desart and barren the People miserably poor their Houses are wretched Huts the greatest part under ground they are very tawny and ill-favour'd their Habitations are scatt'red scarcely deserving the Name of Villages And they have no Town as I have been informed besides Preesslannes which is situated on the South-side of the Jaxartes near the Caspian Sea which whilst I dwelt in Astracan was by surprize taken by the Cossacks but they had little cause to brag of their Victory finding little booty therein and the Caragans gath'ring together beat them out with great loss of Men forcing them to retire into an Island 2 or 3 leagues from the Land which they possess unto this day no Nation being able or else not caring to un-nest them although Tartars Persians and Muscovites do continually suffer by their Depredations Towards the East and by South of the Caragans dwell the Tartars of Bochara who are by divers called Yusbegs The Countrey which they possess is better watred and more fertile than most of the preceeding and there is great resort of Merchants from divers Parts unto them especially Persians Muscovites and several Nations of Indians as Moguls Boutans with many others whose Names I cannot recollect I have been also told That the Chineses do sometimes trade with them I am perswaded that this is the famed Kingdom of Cataye for the Catayans are a sort of Tartars and I know no other Tartars between this Countrey and China Caragan lieth from them to the North-West Urgenshe due North China to the East the Tartars of Balk to the South and the Persians South and by West and the Caspian Sea duely West They are almost continually in Wars with the Persians The next Countrey I am to describe is Persia in which Land I was never excepting once in that part thereof which borders upon the Comukes but I have conversed with several Persian Merchants at Astracan who came by Shipping from Gilan which when the Wind is very fair and good they sail in 2 or 3 days and nights They wear Turbants like the Turks and so do the Bouchars Therefore not having seen much of Persia nor having sufficiently informed my self
lik'd the proposition well and immediately put my self into the Society of those two Gentlemen from whom I never separated 'till they departed for Syria from Constantinople But before we left Germany we resolv'd to see the Court of Savony whither we got in a few days By the way we pass'd through Freybergh a small City but well worth seeing for the beauty of the Electors Tombs and most splendid and magnificent both for Materials and Workmanship in all Europe From thence we went and view'd the stately Castle of Augustburgh seated upon a high Mountain wherein among other things there is a great Hall adorn'd from top to bottom with nothing but Horns fasten'd to the Wall among the rest is the Head of a Hare with two Horns sent the Elector by the King of Denmark for a great Rarity In one of the Courts of the Palace stands a Tree so large in Body and spreading out the Branches at so wide a distance that they will cover three hundred sixty five Tables with their shade And that which makes this Tree more wonderful is that it is only Birch that rarely grows to that Immensity Dresde is the Residence of the Elector a little City but a very near one and well fortify'd with a Stone Bridge over the Elbe that parts the Old and New Town The Palace is one of the largest and fairest in Germany But it wants a Piazza before it the principal Gate standing just at the bottom of a narrow Lane From Dresde we went to Prague which was a third time that I saw that great and fair City or rather three Cities together only separated by the Molda that throws it self into the Elbe some five or six Leagues below Having travers'd Bohemia and touch'd upon the corner of Moravia we enter'd Austria and came to Vienna resolving there to Embark with all speed because the Winter came on We stay'd one day at Presburgh to see the great Church and some Relicks which they shew'd us and from thence fell down to Altenburgh Altenburgh is a City and Province belonging to the Count of Arach It was the Childs part of one of the Queens of Hungary who upon her death-bed bequeathed it to one of the Lords of her Court upon condition that he and his Successors should always keep such a number of Peacocks for defect whereof the Territory should revert to the Crown Thence we came to Signet from whence I took a little Boat and hasted to Raab where I did my Devoirs to the Viceroy who was glad to see me and gave noble entertainment to the Messieurs de Chapes and de St. Liebau Here we stay'd eight or ten days for the Basha of Buda's Answer whether he would give liberty to two French Gentlemen to pass with their Train through his Garrison or no which being return'd such as we could desire we Embark'd at Comorra in a sort of Brigantines well fitted for defence and convenience From Vienna to Javarin we laid three days upon the water by reason of the great turnings and windings of the Dunaw Leaving Javarin we lay at Comorra and from Comorra we row'd to Buda in two days For the Road by Land is seldom travell'd in regard that the Frontiers of both Empires are full of Thieves and Boothaylers In fair weather you may go from Bada to Belgrade in less than eight days but we were forc'd to stay longer upon the Water in regard of the Cold weather It is the custom in Hungary that in all Roads little frequented by Strangers not to take any Money of the Traveller For the Burghers lodge and entertain them civilly for which the Burgo Master at the years end repays them out of the publick stock But besides that they are not troubl'd with many passengers Hungary which is one of the best Countries in Europe affords provision at so cheap a rate that to Belgrade it costs us not above two Crowns a day for fourteen people Buda stands upon the right hand of the Danaw about half an hours travelling from the River The Basha being advis'd of our arrival sent his Squire with led Horses and several Slaves in very good Liveries to conduct us to the Town And though we stay'd twelve days before we could speak with him by reason of his being sick at that time yet he allow'd us a fair provision of Mutton Pullets Rice Butter and Bread and two Sequins a day for small expences He was a comely person and of a handsom carriage and at our departure he sent six Caleshes with two Spahi's to conduct us to Belgrade with order to defray our expences which would by no means be accepted Coming to Belgrade we found the Sangiai as rude as we had found the Basha civil before For he made a ridiculous demand of two hundred Ducats a Head and for fifteen days prolong'd the contest But at length I so terrify'd him by threatning to send our Complaints to the Ottaman Port of his ill usage of two Gentlemen kinsmen to the Embassador of France that he was contented with fifty Ducats for all Belgrade is scituated upon a point of Land where two great Rivers the Danaw and the Sava meet and is furnish'd with Wine Bread and all sorts of provisions at a cheap rate From Belgrade we took some Saddle Horses some Coaches for Adrianople as every one lik'd best We pass'd through Sophia a large and well peopl'd City the Metropolis of the ancient Bulgarians and the residence of the Basha of Romeli In it stands a fair Mosquee which hath been a Christian Church built with so much Art that three men may go up to the top of the Steeple and not see one another From Sophia we came to Philippoli between which Town and Adrianople we met with two Troops of Tartars well mounted When they saw us they made a Lane for us to pass through them with a design most certainly to have fall'n upon us since they could not hope to do any good upon us but by surprize and number for they were ill provided of Weapons and we rarely well Arm'd Thereupon we alighted and Barricado'd up our selves with our Chariots In the mean time we sent our Spahi's to the Commander of those Tartars to tell them we would not stir 'till they were gone and that being Souldiers as they were they could not hope for any booty from us The Commander answer'd that he had divided his men in that manner only to do us Honour but since we desir'd they should be gone they requested us but to send them a little Tobacco A boon which we readily granted them and so we pass'd on We came to Adrianople the three and twentieth day after we parted from Belgrade Adrianople takes its name from the Emperour Adrian being formerly call'd Orestes It is pleasantly situated at the mouth of three Rivers that throw themselves into the Archipelago The old Town is not very big but the Turks dayly enlarge the Suburbs being a place which the
time 146 Chap. XIX Observations upon the fairest and largest Diamonds and Rubies which the Author has seen in Europe and Asia represented according to the Figures in the Plates as also upon those which the Author sold to the King upon his last return from the Indies with the Figure of a large Topaz and the fairest Pearls in the World 148 Chap. XX. The forms of twenty Rubies which the Author sold to the King upon his last return from the Indies The first part of the Plate shews the weight extent and thickness of every Stone 149 Chap. XXI Of the Coral and yellow Ember and the places where 't is found 151 Chap. XXII Of Musk and Bezoar and some other Medicinal Stones 153 Chap. XXIII Of the places where they find their Gold both in Asia and America 156 Chap. XXIV The Relation of a notable piece of Treachery whereby the Author was abus'd when he Embark'd at Gomrom for Surat 157 The Third BOOK of the INDIAN Travels Chap. I. OF the particular Religion of the Mahometans in the East-Indies Pag. 159 Chap. II. Of the Faquirs or poor Mahometan Volunteers in the East-Indies 160 Chap. III. Of the Religion of the Gentiles or Idolatrous Indians 161 Chap. IV. Of the Kings and Idolatrous Princes of Asia 163 Chap. V. What the Idolaters believe touching a Divinity 164 Chap. VI. Of the Faquirs or poor Volunteers among the Indians and of their Penances 165 Chap. VII Of the Idolaters Belief touching the State of the Soul after Death 167 Chap. VIII Of the Custom among the Idolaters to Burn the Bodies of their Dead 168 Chap. IX How the Wives are Burnt in India with the Bodies of their deceas'd Husbands 169 Chap. X. Remarkable Stories of Women that have been Burnt after their Husbands decease 171 Chap. XI Of the most Celebrated Pagods of the Idolaters in India 173 Chap. XII A Continuation of the Description of the principal Pagods of the Indian Idolaters 177 Chap. XIII Of the Pilgrimages of the Idolaters to their Pagods 179 Chap. XIV Of divers Customs of the Indian Idolaters Ibid. Chap. XV. Of the Kingdom of Boutan whence comes the Musk the Good Rhubarb and some Furs 182 Chap. XVI Of the Kingdom of Eipra 186 Chap. XVII Of the Kingdom of Asem 187 Chap. XVIII Of the Kingdom of Siam 189 Chap. XIX Of the Kingdom of Macassar and the Ambassadors which the Hollanders sent into China 191 Chap. XX. The Author pursues his Travels into the East and Embarks at Mengrelia for Batavia The danger he was in upon the Sea and his arrival in the Island of Ceylan 194 Chap. XXI The Authors departure from Ceylan and his arrival at Batavia 195 Chap. XXII The Author goes to visit the King of Bantam and relates several Adventures upon that Occasion 196 Chap. XXIII The Author's return to Batavia His Revisiting the King of Bantam And a Relation of several extravigancies of certain Faquirs in their return from Mecca 199 Chap. XXIV Of the War of the Hollanders with the Emperour of Java 202 Chap. XXV The Author Buries his Brother and is again quarrell'd withall by the General and his Council 203 Chap. XXVI The Author Embarks in a Dutch Vessel to return into Europe 204 Chap. XXVII The Holland Fleet arrives at St. Helens The Description of the Island 207 THE FIRST BOOK OF MONSIEUR TAVERNIER's Persian Travels Containing the several ROADS From PARIS to ISPAHAN the Chief City of PERSIA Through the Northern Provinces of TURKY CHAP. I. Of the Roads from France to the hither parts of Asia and the Places from whence they usually set out for Ispahan A Man cannot travel in Asia as they do in Europe nor at the same Hours nor with the same ease There are no weekly Coaches or Wagons from Town to Town besides that the Soil of the Countries is of several natures In Asia you shall meet with several Regions untill'd and unpeopl'd either through the badness of the Climate and Soil or the sloth of the Inhabitants who rather choose to live miserably than to work There are vast Deserts to cross and very dangerous both for want of Water and the Robberies that the Arabs daily commit therein There are no certain Stages or Inns to entertain Travellers The best Inns especially in Turkie are the Tents which you carry along with you and your Hosts are your Servants that get ready those Victuals which you have bought in good Towns You set up your Tent in the open Field or in any Town where there is no Inn and a good shift too in temperate weather when the Sun is not too hot or that it does not rain In the Carvansera's or Inns which are more frequent in Persia than in Turkie there are persons that furnish you with Provisions and the first come are best served As for Turkie it is full of Thieves that keep in Troops together and way-lay the Merchants upon the Roads and if they be not very well guarded will certainly rob them nay many times murder them A mischief prevented in Persia by the well order'd convenience which is provided for Travellers To avoid these dangers and inconveniences you are oblig'd to stay for the Caravans that go for Persia or the Indies which never set out but at certain times and from certain places These Caravans set out from Constantinople Smyrna and Aleppo And it is from one of these Cities that a Traveller must set out that intends for Persia whether he keeps company with the Caravan or will hazard himself alone with a Guide as once I did I will begin with Constantinople from whence you may go either by Land or Sea and either by Land or Sea there are two ways to go The first of these by Land is that which I took with Monsieur Chapes and Monsieur St. Liebau By the way take notice that Vienna is the half-way near upon between Paris and Constantinople The second Read is less frequented but is less inconvenient and less dangerous for there are no need of the Emperour's Pasports which he does not grant very freely besides that here is no fear of the Pirates of Tunis or Argier as when you embarque from Marseilles of Ligorn If you intend this way you must go to Venice from Venice to Ancona from whence several Barques are bound every Week for Ragusa From Ragusa you sail along by the Shore to Durazzo a Sea-Port of Albania from whence you travel the rest of the way by Land From Durazzo to Albanopolis distant three days journey from thence to Monestier just as far from Monestier you may either take the left hand through Sophia and Philippopolis or the right through Inguischer three days journey from Monestier and ten from Adrianople from whence in five days you reach Constantinople through Selivrea This last way is part by Sea and part by Land but there are two other ways altogether by Land above and below Italy according to the distinction which Antiquity made of the two Seas that
River The sixth day we pass'd by the Walls of the ancient Philadelphia call'd at present Allachars which was also one of the Seven Churches of Asia There is something of Beauty still remaining in those Walls and the City is very large but ill peopl'd It is situated upon four little Hills at the foot of a high Mountain over-looking a fair Plain to the North that produces excellent Fruit. To witness its Antiquity there is yet the Ruines of an Amphitheater with certain Sepulchers from whence the Inhabitants report that the European Christians took out the Bodies that were buried there and transported them into Europe believing them to be the Bodies of Saints It is now all destroy'd but re-built of Earth by the Turks after their mode It was formerly one of the principal Cities of Mysia and in regard it was alway very subject to Earthquakes the most part of her Inhabitants liv'd in the Country The last time I travel'd that way in the year 1664 the seventeenth of June the Turks were feasting and rejoycing upon the News as they said which they had receiv'd of the defeat of the Christians in Candy But the News was false and only contriv'd to encourage the People for the Grand Signor was then making Levies in those Parts We lodg'd that day after seven hours travel upon the Bank of a small River a League and a half from Philadelphia The seventh day we travel'd eleven hours over a Mountain where those Trees plentifully grow that bear Galls and Valanede which is the shell or rind of an Acorn that Curriers make use of to dress their Leather We lodg'd in a Meadow on the top of a Mountain which is call'd Ijagli-bogase or The Mountain of Robbers The eighth day we continu'd our Journey over the same Mountain which is a very barren Country where there is no Provision to be had We travel'd but six hours and lodg'd near a River in a Plain call'd Sarrouc abaqui The ninth day the Caravan travel'd thorough dry Lands where there is not one Village to be seen and lodg'd near a Bridge built over a River call'd Copli-sou in the Plain of Inahi The tenth day after we had travel'd eight hours over an uneven and barren Country we stopt in a Valley near a River call'd Bana-sou the Water whereof is not good In the Night there arose a Tempest that put us all in a disorder and the Rain that fell was as cold as is it had been in the depth of Winter We were wet to the Skins and were forc'd to throw Coverlets over the Bales to keep the Goods from being spoyl'd The eleventh day we travel'd through a pleasant Country between Vales adorn'd with a most delightful Verdure and we were in view as we pass'd along of certain hot Baths though very little regarded We lodg'd upon the Banks of a small River by the side whereof we had travel'd for some hours The twelfth day we continu'd our Road for six hours between the same Vallies and lodg'd by a River The thirteenth day we travel'd eight hours and stop'd near to a Village in a Country call'd Doüagasse The fourteenth after a Journey of seven hours we pass'd by the Walls of Aphiom-Carassar that is The Black City of Aphiom or Opium because it has a Prospect over a fair and large Country well cultivated where they sow great store of Poppies whence they draw their Opium or Aphiom as the Turks call it Aphiom-Carassar is a great City dirty and ill built the ancient Name whereof I could never learn for the Greeks and Armenians are very ignorant But according to all probability and the situation of the place it ought to be the ancient Hierapolis situated upon the Maeander a famous River of the Lesser Asia that winds and turns the most of any River in the World And indeed we are the more to seek in regard the Turks change the ancient Names according to their own custom and pleasure and give no other Names to Rivers than that of the principal City through which they pass or else deriving their Names from the Colour of their Sands There is to be seen in that City an ancient Castle of Free-stone upon the Point of a high Rock separated from the Mountains that are next it toward the South which make a Semicircle All the Armenian Christians Subjects to the King of Persia passing thorough Aphiom-Carassar must there pay Carage from which they are not exempted though they have paid it before at Erzerom or elsewhere The Caravan does not stop at Aphiom-Carassar as well for that there are no Inns but what are ruin'd as for that about a League farther there is a place where you have excellent Fish and very cheap and they of the City bring Barley Straw and other things which the Caravan wants The Caravan therefore that day lodges upon the Banks of Maeander which is to be cross'd over a Bridge not far distant from a small Village In this River are great store of Crawfish and Carps and the Fishermen will be sure to attend upon the Caravan I have seen some Carps there above three Foot long The fifteenth our Caravan began to part it self some for Tocat some for the Road to Aleppo the one part taking the right-hand Road toward the Winter-East for Syria the other the left-hand Road North-East for Armenia After we were parted we travel'd two or three hours in sight of one another They that go to Aleppo fall into Tarsus where St. Paul was born and from Tarsus to Alexandretta But we continu'd our Road to Tocat and after we had cross'd a great Plain having travel'd six hours we lodg'd in a Mershy place near a small Village There is one thing remarkable in this Road as in many others which manifests the Charity of the Turks For in most of the high Roads that are far from Rivers they have set up Cisterns whither when the Rains fail the neighbouring Villages bring Water for the Travellers who would else be very much distress'd The sixteenth we travel'd eight hours through a very even Country but ill manur'd where we saw a little City call'd Boulavandi There are some Mosquees which the Turks have built out of the Ruines of the ancient Greek Churches from which they have taken Pillars of Marble and other pieces of Architecture to adorn their Sepulchers without any order at all which you meet with very often upon the high Roads the number is the greater because they never lay two Bodies in one Grave There is also in this City an Inn cover'd with Lead which is all the Beauty of it nor do Travellers make any use of it but only in foul weather We lodg'd a League and a half from the City and staid there all the next day The seventeenth we travel'd eleven hours through a mix'd and uneven Country and came to lodge in a Village where there are not above three or four Houses though there be excellent Pasturage about it There is
to Ispahan to have the benefit of Coynage themselves They that traffick into Guilan for Silks carry their Silver to Teflis where the Master of the Mint gives them 2 per Cent. profit for their Silver The reason is because that which he gives them for it is a little sophisticated but it passes currant all over Guilan In the third place you must observe That upon the pieces of Silver as well for the King's Duty as the Coynage of the Money there is requir'd 7½ per Cent. But upon the Copper Money not above one half or 1 per Cent. at most Whence it comes to pass that when a Workman has need of Copper rather than lose time in going to buy it he will melt down his Casbeké's There are four several pieces of Silver Coyn Abassi's Mamoudi's Shaet's and Bisti's but as for the Bisti's there are very few at present The Copper pieces of Coyn are call'd Casbeké of which there are single and double The single Casbeké is worth five Deniers and a Half-peny of our Money The double Casbeké is valu'd at eleven Deniers Four single Casbeké's or two double ones make a Bisti Ten single Casbeké's or five double ones make one Shayet in value Two Shayet's make a Mamoudi Two Mamoudi's make an Abassi The Real or Crown of France is worth three Abassi's and one Shayet and counting a Real at sixty Sous an Abassi is worth eighteen Sous six Deniers Though to say truth three Abassi's and one Shayet make three Half-pence more than the Crown Number 1 and Number 2. Are two pieces which upon one side bear the Names of the twelve Prophets of the Law of Mahomet and in the middle this Inscription La Illah allah Mahomet resoul Allah Ali Vaeli Allah on the back-side The Conquerour of the World Abas II. gives us permission to coyn this Money in the City of Cashan Num. 1. Makes five Abassi's and counting our Crown at thirteen Shayet's it comes to four Livres twelve Sous six Deniers Num. 2. Makes two Abassi's and a half of our Money or forty-six Sous and one Farthing Num. 3. Is an Abassi which comes to eighteen Sous six Deniers Num. 4. Is a Mamoudi worth nine Sous and a Farthing Num. 5. Is a Shayet worth four Sous seven Deniers one Half-peny Num. 6. A Bisti worth one Sous ten Deniers Num. 7. The Copper Coyn call'd Casbeké worth five Deniers one Half-peny These Coyns unless it be the Casbeké bear no other Inscription but only the Name of the King reigning when they were coyn'd the Name of the City where they were coyn'd with the Year of the Hegyra of Mahomet Though all Payments are made in Abassi's as well at Ormus and other parts of the Gulf belonging to the King of Persia as in the Iland of Bahren where is the great Fishery and Market for Pearls yet there is no mention made but only of Larins The Larin is describ'd in the Money of Arabia Eight Larins make an Or four and twenty make a Toman An Or is not the name of a Coyn but of a Sum in reck'ning among Merchants One Or is five Abassi's A Toman is another Sum in payment For in all Persian Payments they make use of only Tomans and Ors and though they usually say that a Toman makes fifteen Crowns in truth it comes to forty-six Livres one Peny and ⅓ As for pieces of Gold the Merchant never carries any into Persia but Alman-Ducats Ducats of the Seventeen Provinces or of Venice and he is bound to carry them into the Mint so soon as he enters into the Kingdom but if he can cunningly hide them and sell them to particular persons he gets more by it When a Merchant goes out of the Kingdom he is oblig'd to tell what pieces of Gold he carries with him and the King's people take a Shayet at the rate of a Ducat and sometimes they value the Ducat at more But if he carry's his Gold away privately and be discover'd all his Gold is confiscated The Ducat usually is worth two Crowns which in Persia justly comes to twenty-six Shayets but there is no price fixt in that Country for Ducats For when the season is to go for the Indies or that the Caravan sets out for Mecca as well the Merchants as the Pilgrims buy up all the Ducats they can find out by reason of their lightness and then they rise to twenty-seven and twenty-eight Shayets and sometimes more a piece The end of the Roads from Paris to Ispahan through the Northern Provinces of Turky THE SECOND BOOK OF THE PERSIAN TRAVELS OF MONSIEUR TAVERNIER Containing the several ROADS From PARIS to ISPAHAN the Capital CITY of PERSIA Through the Southern Provinces of TURKI and through the DESERTS CHAP. I. The second Voyage of the Author from Paris to Ispahan and first of his Embarking at Marseilles for Alexandretta THE Road from Constantinople to Erivan which with all those other Roads through the Northern Provinces of Turkie the first time I travel'd into Persia I have amply describ'd It behoves me now to treat of the Southern Provinces and of those through the Deserts where there are several Emirs or Arabian Princes of which several are very potent For there are some of them that can bring 30000 Horse into the Field five of which I have had the honour to discourse and to oblige them with small Presents in recompence whereof they sent me Rice Mutton Dates and Sherbet as long as I staid among them I embark'd at Marseilles in a Holland Vessel that carry'd five and forty Guns from thence we set sail for Malta At Malta we staid twelve days to carine the Vessel and to take in fresh Victuals Among the rest we bought two thousand Quails for there are a prodigious quantity in the Iland but in two or three days we found five or six hundred of them destroy'd by the Vermin that pester'd the Ship From Malta we set sail for Larneca a good Road in the Iland of Cypras to the West of Famagosta which is not above a days journey from it by Land As we were making into the Road about two or three hours after midnight we perceiv'd a Vessel close upon us and both the Ships Company began to cry out for fear of falling foul one upon another but the Vessel sheer'd clear without any harm on either side In the morning we cast Anchor and went a-shoar It is a good half League from the Road where the Consuls and Merchants both English Hollanders and French live in a very pitiful Village However there is a little Monastery of Capuchins who officiate in the Chappel of the French Consul and another of Religious Italians that depend upon the Guardian of Jerusalem We staid but two days at Larneca the Captain having nothing to do but to inform himself what business they might have for him at his return it being usual to then to take in spun and unspun Cottons together with course Wool for
CHAP. IV. Of the Road from Aleppo to Ispahan through Mesopotamia and Assyria which I travel'd in my third Voyage to the Indies I Departed from Paris in my third Voyage to the Indies upon the sixth of December 1643 and went to Ligorn where I found the Dutch Fleet ready to set Sail for the Levant The Vessel wherein I embark'd seeming rather a Man-of-War than a Merchant-Man We pass'd through the Channel of Messina and lay there at an Anchor four days before the City From thence passing by the Morea we enter'd into the Archipelago where the Fleet parted according as every Ship was bound Our Ship sayl'd directly for the Port of Alexandretta but though the Wind were favourable we were stop'd for some time by a Pirate that met with us off the Eastern Point of Candy We endeavour'd to have got clear of him but the Pirate gaining upon us we made ready Thereupon the Pirate gave us three Broad-sides that went over the Ship without doing us any harm which we answer'd by as many from our Ship the first whereof brought his Fore-mast by the Board and the third Shot went through the Fore-castle and kill'd him some Men as far as we could discern At that very instant one of our Mariners cry'd out from the Top-mast-head A Sail from the South Thereupon the Pirate left us and made Sail after her and we glad of such an escape pursu'd our Voyage to Alexandretta where we happily arriv'd from whence I took Horse for Aleppo as I have already describ'd The sixth of March I departed from Aleppo in the company of two Capuchin Friars Father Raphael and Father Yves and a Venetian whose name was Dominico de Sanctis From Aleppo to Bi r where you cross the Euphrates it is four days journey for the Horse Caravan The Country is well wooded and well manur'd The seventh of March the great Rains that fell hinder'd us from getting to the usual Stage so that we could not gain Telbechar another Town where there is no Inn which constrain'd us to stop a League on this side and to go to a Cave that was able to contain three hundred Horse This is a Cave where the Bedouins or Feeders of Cattel thereabouts oft retire who live after the manner of the Arabs either in Rocks or in poor Hutts The Cave has been hollow'd from time to time there being several Niches in it like little Chambers Our Caravan-Bashi fearing some Ambuscade rode thither before to view the place but finding it empty and free we rested there that night and the next night came to lye at Mezara which is only a small Village without an Inn Neither was there any thing remarkable upon that Road. Only that near the Cave in the Mountain there is very good Water And formerly upon the Mountain stood a Castle of which some ruines are still remaining From the top of the Mountain there is a fair Prospect as far as you can see over very fair Plains on every side and in several places very good Land water'd by divers Channels which are brought from the River Euphrates All the Rivolets also that you cross from Aleppo to Bi r come from the same River The fourth day after we parted from Aleppo being the ninth of March we came to the banks of Euphrates Bi r is on the other side of the River and because that sometimes the Goods cannot be unladen all in a day there is a fair and large Inn to defend the Merchants from the Bedoüins which would else disturb and rob them were not they and their Goods in that manner secur'd You cross the Euphrates in large Ferry Boats and as soon as you are got over the other side of the River the Customer and his Officers comes and tells the Bales and writes down the names of the Merchants to whom they belong The Caravan does not lye in the Town which is built like an Amphitheatre upon the brow of a very craggy Mountain but passes forward over a scurvy Road to an Inn upon the top of the Mountain Near the Inn there are several Chambers cut out of the Rock where they that cannot get room in the Inn are forc'd to lye That Evening the Custom-Officer comes to receive his duties being two Piasters upon every load of Goods whether upon Horse or Mule though the Mules carry more than the Horses and half a Piaster for every Beast that carries Provisions But for Saddle Horses or Mules there is nothing demanded The Bi r or Berygeon as the Natives call it is a large City for an Eastern City scituated upon the brow of a Hill Below upon the River stands a Castle that declares its Antiquity it is half as long as the City but narrow and without any other Fortification saving only a Tower that scours the River in which there are eight or nine pitiful Culverins In the highest part of the Town stands another Castle where the Governour resides who is an Aga whom some call a Basha having under him two hundred Janizaries and four hundred Spahi's The City is ill built as are the most part of the Cities of Turkie But there are an extraordinary plenty of all things excellent Bread good Wine and great store of the best sort of Fish The tenth day after we had travel'd elev'n hours in the first Lands of Mesopotamia that lyes between the two Rivers Euphrates and Tigre which at present they call Diarbek we came in the evening to Sharmely This is a very good Town with a fair Inn and Baths round about it About twice Musquet-Shot from thence stands a Mountain alone by it self like Montmartre near Paris Round about it are Plains and at the top of it stands a Fortress with a Garrison of two hundred Spahi's by reason that the Arabs sometimes cross Euphrates and make incursions upon that side In the year 1631 the Grand Vizier returning from Bagdat where he had lost the greatest part of the Grand Signor's Army not being able to take the City fearing the loss of his head if he return'd to Constantinople and knowing himself to be in great esteem among the Souldiers resolv'd to quarter himself upon this Mountain and to erect a Fortress to secure himself from the tempest that threaten'd him No doubt but'l if he could have brought about his design he might have made himself Master of all Mesopotamia and would have put the Grand Signor to a great deal of trouble For if you intend for Aleppo whither it be from Tauris Mossul or Bagdat unless you travel thorough the Desert you must pass through Sharmely under the command of this Fortress for Provision and Waters sake The work was gone so far forward that there was a good defence rais'd and the Vizier had already enclos'd all the Mountain together with the Inn with a Wall almost twenty foot thick and three fathom high when he was strangl'd by those in whom he most confided the Grand Signor having gain'd them either by
every leaf they are like our Lilly's but much bigger And to drink the infusion of the Roots of these Lilly's especially those whose Leaves are blackest for fifteen days together is a most Soveraign remedy against the Pox. Not long after came a Person of a goodly Aspect who seem'd to be an Arabian but he spoke the Persian Language whom Solyman Kan had sent to Compliment the Ambassador He carry'd us to the Tent which the Governour had caus'd to be set up in a Garden near the Town where he also Lodg'd the Capuchins The Ambassador also sent to Compliment the Kan by my interpreter and when the hour was come that we were to set forward he gave order to six of the Captains of his Cavalry to accompany the Ambassador The House where the Governour liv'd in was one of the most beautiful in Persia. And as for the Governour himself we found him in a Gallery that look'd upon the Garden the Floor being all spread over with a Tapestry of Gold and Silk with large Cushions of Cloth of Gold all along the Wall After some Questions and discourse concerning the Affairs of Europe they serv'd in Supper which consisted of several Dishes but no Wine was to be had our drink being only Sherbet and the juice of Granates with Sugar for those that desir'd it We were a long time at Supper for 't is the custom of Persia that when one man rises another takes his place and falls too in so much that the Master of the Feast must have the Patience to stay 'till several have tak'n their turns and when every one has done the Cloth is tak'n away without any more to do Here the Ambassador committed an absurdity for there are no Silver or Gold Spoons in Persia but only long Wooden Ladles that reach a great way Now the Ambassador reaching his Ladle to a Purslane-Dish full of Pottage that was scalding hot clap'd it presently into his mouth but finding it so hot that he could not endure it after several scurvy faces he threw it out of his mouth again into his hand in the presence of all the Company After we had stay'd five days at Sneirne the Caravan-Bashi signifi'd his desire to pursue his Journey Thereupon the Ambassador took his leave of the Governour presenting him with a Watch and a pair of Pistols who in retaliation presented the Ambassador with a stately Horse and a Colt of two years old The next day we dislodg'd and pursu'd our Road to Amadan which is not above three days Journey from Sneirne Amadan is one of the largest and most considerable Cities of Persia seated at the foot of a Mountain where do arise an infinite company of Springs that water all the Country The Land about it abounds in Corn and Rice wherewith it furnishes the greatest part of the neighbouring Provinces Which is the reason that some of the Persian States-men hold it very inconvenient for the King of Persia to keep Bagdat as well by reason of the vastness of the Charge as also for that it draws from Amadan that which should supply other Provinces On the other side it is easie for the Grand Signor to hold it by reason of the neighbourhood of Mesopotamia Assyria and the Arabs Enemies to the Persians by which means Provisions are very cheap which the people would not know where to put off if the King of Persia were Lord of Bagdat We staid at Amadan about ten days by reason of the Rains during which time the Caravans cannot travel While we tarry'd there we were visited by several Babylonian Christians who were glad to see that we had escap'd the Clutches of the Basha of Bagdat who had giv'n order to the Basha of Karkou and the Bey of Sharassou that commands the Frontiers of Turkie to seize us and carry us back to Bagdat For which we might have thank'd the Ambassador and a malicious Rabbi that came along with us in the Caravan from Aleppo who finding the Feast of the Tabernacles to be at hand and that we had a great way to Ispahan left us at Niniveh to keep the Festival with the Jews of Babylon Where that he might insinuate himself into the Basha's favour he inform'd him that there was a Fringuiz in the Caravan whom he look'd upon as a Spy and that he was an Envoy into Persia from the Commonwealth of Venice for he carry'd no Merchandize but had three Chests full of rich Habits and several other things which he took for Presens to the Persian King For out of vanity or folly the Venetian had several times open'd his Chest and expos'd his Gallantry to view And yet he was so clutch-fisted and niggardly in every thing that when there was any occasion to reward the Kan's Servant or any of the Country-men that brought us the Dainties of the place it came all out of my Pocket So that I left him to my Interpreter and the two Capuchins and with three Servants and a Guide after I had staid at Amadan three days I took Horse for Ispahan When I came there the Nazar or Master of the King's Houshold hearing I had left an Ambassador behind me with the Caravan enquir'd of me what manner of Person he was but I pretended I had had little converse with him unwilling to discover his mean Spirit The Evening before his Arrival the Nazar sent to give the Fringuiz notice in the King's Name that they should be ready to go meet the Ambassador the next day which we did and brought him into the City and through Ali's Gate that joyns to the King's Palace Now 't is the custom for all Ambassadors to salute that Gate by reason of a white Marble Stone made like an Asses back and which serves for a Step being as they report brought anciently out of Arabia where Ali liv'd So soon as you have strid over that Stone without touching it which were a great crime you enter into a kind of a Gallery where there are Rooms on each side which serves for a Sanctuary for Criminals which the King himself cannot fetch out of that place That day that the new King receives his Ensigns of Royalty he goes to stride over that Stone and if by negligence he should chance to touch it there are four Guards at the Gate that would make a shew of thrusting him back again But now the Master of the Ceremonies being ready to conduct the Ambassador to the Apartment alotted him as an Ambassador that came from three great Monarchs and a potent Commonwealth he desir'd to lodge at the House of one Pietro Pentalet descended from Venetian Parents whereupon the Master of the Ceremonies conducted him thither and caus'd his Dinner to be brought him While we were eating I counted thirteen Languages spoken at the Table Latin French High-Dutch English Low-Dutch Italian Portuguez Persian Turkish Arabic Indian Syriac and Malaye which is the Language of the Learned that is spoken from the River Indus to China and
and came to lye at a Town call'd Tegrit upon Mesopotamia side There belongs to the Town a Castle half ruin'd and yet there are still some handsom Chambers to be seen Upon the North and East the River serves for a Moat but upon the West and South it has a deep Artificial one pav'd with Free-stone The Arabians say that formerly it was the strongest place in all Mesopotamia though it be commanded by two Hills not far from it The Christians dwelt half a League from the City where the Ruines of a Church and part of a Steeple are still to be seen whereby it appears to have been a considerable Pile of Building The twenty-first after we had row'd three hours we met with a Town upon Assyria side which was call'd Amet-el-tour from the name of a person that lyes inter'd in a Monastery whom the people account to be a Saint Therefore is it a place of great Devotion among them so that great numbers of Votaries go thither in private That day we were twelve hours upon the Water and lay upon the Banks of the River The twenty-second having been upon the Water two hours we met with a great Channel cut out of Tigris to water the Lands which runs up as far as just over-against Bagdat and there falls into the Tigris again Coming thither we landed upon Chaldea side by reason that there were certain Turks with us who would of necessity perform their Devotions at a place call'd Samà tra In the same there is a Mosquee not above half a League from the River to which many Mahometans pay their Devoirs especially Indians and Tartars who believe forty of their Prophets to be buried there When they knew us to be Christians they would not permit us no not for Money to set our Feet in it About five hundred Paces from the Mosquee stands a Tower very ingeniously built There are two Stair-cases without that belong to it made twirling like a Periwinkle-shell one of which Stair-cases was built deeper into the Tower than the other I would have taken better notice of it could I have been permitted to have come nearer it Only I observ'd that it was made of Brick and that it seems to be very ancient Half a League from thence appear three great Portals that look as if they had been the Gates of some great Palace And indeed it is not improbable but that there was some great City thereabouts for for three Leagues all along the River there is nothing to be seen but Ruines We were twelve hours that day upon the Water and lay upon the Banks of Tigris according to custom The twenty-third we were twenty hours upon the Water and all the day long we saw nothing upon either side of the River but pitiful Hutts made of the Branches of Palm-trees where live certain poor people that turn the Wheels by means whereof they water the neighbouring Grounds We also met that day with a River call'd Odoine that falls into Tigris upon the side of the ancient Chaldea The twenty-fourth we were twenty-two hours upon the Water together never stirring off from the Kilet The reason is because the Merchants having tak'n out of the Kilet all their Money and the best part of their Merchandizes give them to the Country-people who carry them very faithfully to Bagdat whither they go to sell their own Commodities which the Merchants do to avoid the payment of Five in the Hundred in the City I trusted them also with several things of which they gave me a very good account as they did to others being contented with a small matter for their pains The twenty-fifth about four of the Clock in the Morning we arriv'd at Bagdat which is as usually call'd Babylon They open the Gates by six and then the Customers come to take an account of the Merchandize and to search the Merchants themselves If they find nothing about 'em they let the Merchants go but if they have any thing about 'em which ought to pay they carry the persons to the Custom-House where they write down the quantity of the Goods and let them go All the Merchandize upon the Kilet is carry'd thither also which the Merchant fetches away again in two or three days paying the Custom All which is done in very great order without any noise or disturbance in the least Though Bagdat usually bear the name of Babylon yet it is at a great distance from the ancient Babylon whereof in due place But now for Bagdat as it stands at this day Bagdat is a City seated upon the River of Tigris on the Coast of Persia and separated from Mesopotamia by the same River It lyes in 33 Deg. 15 Min. of Elevation The Chronicles of the Arabians report that it was built by one of their Califfs nam'd Almansour in the year of the Hegyra of Mahomet 145 and of Christianity 762 or thereabouts They call it Dar-al-sani that is the House of Peace Some say it deriv'd its name from a Hermitage that stood in a Meadow where the City now stands whence it was call'd Bagdat or a Garden bequeath'd About forty years ago digging up the Foundations of an Inn the Work-men found a Body entire habited like a Bishop with a Censor and Incense by him And in the same place several Cells of Religious Houses shew'd themselves which makes it very probable that where Bagdat is built there was anciently a great Monastery with several Houses where the Christians inhabited The City is about fifteen hundred Paces long and sev'n or eight hundred broad and cannot possibly be above three Miles in circuit The Walls are of Brick and terrass'd in some places with large Towers like Bastions Upon all these Towers there are mounted about sixty pieces of Cannon the biggest whereof carries not above a five or six Pound Ball. The Moats are wide and about five or six Fathom deep There are not above four Gates three upon the Land-side and one upon the River which you must cross over a Bridge of thirty-three Boats distant one from the other about the bredth of one Boat The Castle is in the City near to one of the Gates call'd El-Maazan upon the North side It is partly built upon the River encompass'd only with a single Wall terrass'd in some places and adorn'd with little Towers upon which are planted about a hundred and fifty Cannon but without Carriages The Moat is narrow and not above two or three Fathom deep neither is there any Draw-Bridge before the Gate The Garrison consists of three hundred Janizaries commanded by an Aga. The City is govern'd by a Basha who is generally a Vizier His House is upon the side of the River making a fair shew and he has alway ready at command six or sev'n hundred Horse There is also an Aga that commands three or four hundred Spahi's They have besides another sort of Cavalry which is call'd Ginguliler that is to say Men of Courage commanded by two Aga's
min. Lat. In a Country abounding in all forts of Cattel Zenjon 73 deg 36 min. Long. 36 deg 5 min. Lat. Famous for its antiquity and formerly the Persian University Zertah 79 deg 30 min. Long. 32 deg 30 min. Lat. The biggest City in the Province of Belad-Ciston abounding in Wine and Shell-fruit Zour 70 deg 20 min. Long. 35 deg 32 min. Lat. A City in the same Province Zouzen 85 deg 15 min. Long. 35 deg 39 min. Lat. In the Province of Mazandran Zourend 73 deg 40 min. Long. 31 deg 15 min. Lat. In the Province of Kerman where there is great store of curious Potters ware where also grows the Root Hanna with the juice whereof the Persians dye their Nails and the Breasts and Tails of their Horses The End of the Third BOOK THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE TRAVELS OF MONSIEUR TAVERNIER BEING A DESCRIPTION OF PERSIA CHAP. I. Of the Extent of PERSIA and its division into Provinces PERSIA according to the present State of the Empire to the North is bounded by the Caspian Sea Southward by the Ocean Eastward it joyns to the Territories of the Great Mogul Westward to the Dominions of the Grand Signor the two Empires being parted by the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates But that you may the better understand the full extent of the Dominions of the Persian King you are to know That this great Monarch besides that Tract of Ground which is properly call'd Persia possesses a vast part of the ancient Assyria and the great Armenia the ancient Kingdoms of the Parthians and Medes the Kingdom of Lar the Kingdom of Ormus and all Eastward of Persia beyond Candahar almost as far as the Kingdom of Scindi But because those Europeans that have Travel'd before me either were not so curious or had not perhaps the opportunity to learn the true number of the Provinces that compose the whole Continent of Persia I have undertak'n though the Persians themselves are ignorant enough to give the best account I can finding it necessary for the better satisfaction of the Reader to take some notice of the Names of Places according to the ancient Geography The first is the Great Armenia which our Maps without any ground or reason at all call Turcomannia in regard they might have more properly call'd it Ermonick in general since the Inhabitants are the greatest part Armenians That part whereof which is situated between the two Rivers of Araxes and Cyrus at this day call'd Aras and Kur by the Natives is call'd Iran or Cara-bag being one of the most beautiful and richest pieces of Land in all Persia the principal Cities of which are Erivan Nacksivan Zulpha and Van. The second is Diarbeck formerly Mesopotamia between Euphrates and Tigris the chief Cities whereof are Bi r Car-Emir or Diarbequir Ourfa Moussul Geziré Merdin c. The third is Curdistan formerly Assyria extending all along the East-side of the River Tigris from the Lake Van to the Frontiers of Bagdat the principal Cities are Niniveh Sherisoul Amadié Sneirne Betlis and Salmastre The fourth is Hierak-Arabi otherwise the Country of Babylon or Chaldea the principal Cities whereof are Felougia upon Euphrates Bagdat upon Tigris Mershed-Ali Gourno and Balsara and in the Country of Bourous Sharaban Eronnabat c. The fifth is Hierak-Agemi or the ancient Parthia the principal Cities whereof are Hispahan Toushercan Hamadan Cashan Kan and Casbin and perhaps Yesd if it be not rather in Kerman or Sigistan The sixth contains Shirvan all along the Caspian Sea where stand the Cities of * Derbent in the Persian Tongue signifies ae Strait Gate and Demir-Capi in the Turkish ae Gate of Iron near to which place were the ancient Caspian Gates or Caspiae Pylae of the Ancients Derbent or Demir-Capi Baku and Shamaki and the Province of Edzerbaijan wherein stand the Cities of Tauris Ardevil and Sultany Which two Provinces comprehend the ancient Media within a very little extending to the very Shoar of the Caspan Sea The seventh contains Kylan and Mazandran lying likewise upon the Caspan Sea formerly Hyrcania wherein are the Cities and Towns of Firuzcuh Sukar-abad and Mibnikiellé at the entry of the Mountains Giru Talara-pesct and Saru in the Plain Ferh-abad Ciarman and Gscref toward the Sea The eighth is Estarabad formerly Margiana which extends to the River Ruthkhané-kurkan which the Ancients call'd Oxus the principal Cities whereof are Estarabad Amul Damkam The ninth contains the Province of the Usbeck-Tartars comprehending all the ancient Sogdiana and Bactriana the chief Cities whereof are Balk Samarcand and Boccara c. The tenth is Corassan formerly Aria with some part of Bactriana the chief Cities whereof are Eri Meshed Nisabur Thun c. The eleventh Sablestan formerly Peloponnesus the principal Cities whereof are Beksabat Asbé Bust Sarents the Territory and City of Candahar being also comprehended within the extent of this Province together with Duki and Alunkan upon the Frontiers of the Great Mogul's Dominions The twelfth is Sigistan formerly Drangiana the principal Cities whereof are Sistan Shalack and Kets The thirteenth comprehends all the Territories of the ancient Arachosia bord'ring upon the Kingdom of Scindi not having any Cities that we know of The fourteenth is the Province of Makran lying all along upon the Sea of Mogostan formerly Gedrosia the chief Cities whereof are Makran Firhk Chalak and the Port of Guadel toward Guzerat The fifteenth Kerman formerly Caramania extending as far as the Gulf of Ormus the chief Cities whereof are Kerman Bermazir the Port of Kuhestek and the Cape of Jasques The sixteenth is Farsistan or that part of Persia so properly call'd the chief Cities whereof are Schiras Caseron Benarou Firus-abat Darab-guier c. To which you may add the little Province of Laraston with the City of Lar just against Ormus But this Province formerly extended no farther than Benarou two days journey from Lar before Sha-Abas conquer'd the Kingdom of Lar and then the Kingdom of Ormus Now they are both united though they have both several Governours as they had distinct Princes before The Ports in this Province upon the Persian Gulf are Bander-Abassi and Bander-Congo There are two other little Ports in the Persian Gulf about thirty hours sail from the Mouth of Euphrates but not capable of receiving any other than small Barks which are very much to be admir'd for in regard the Inhabitants are ignorant of the use of Iron it is strange to see their Boats made so handsom and strong withal the Planks being only ty'd together with a Cord which is made of a kind of Hemp tak'n from the out-side of the Coco-nut The last is the Province of Cursistan formerly Susiana which Euphrates and Tigris joyning together separate from Chaldea the principal Cities whereof are Suster anciently Susa the Capital City of the Empire of King Ahasuerus Ahawas Scabar Ramhormus c. The temper of the Air in Persia varies according to the variety of situation The Country of
General and his Wife could keep so private a Daughter that was so incomparably fair that it should not come to the Kings knowledg At length he lov'd her so tenderly that not being able to deny her the liberty of Reigning one whole day in his place he gave her leave to share with him afterwards in the Government And she it was that gave motion to all the most important Affairs of State the King excusing himself to the Grandee's of his Court who wonder'd why he let the Queen bear so great a sway by telling them that she was fit for the Government and that it was time for him to take his ease Fig. 1 and 2. is as all the rest are the backside of the Twelve Signs Fig. 1. is the backside of the Ram. and Fig. 2. of Cancer Both of them signifie the same thing it being the Name of the King Queen and City where they were stamp'd These two were coln'd at Amadabat The Gold Silver and Copper Money which the Portugals coin in the East Indies THe Gold which the Portugals Coin in Goa is better than our Louisse's of Gold and weighs one grain more than our half Pistol At the time when I was in Goa this piece was worth four Roupies or six Franks They hold it up at so Portugall Money Muscovie Money high a rate to the end the Merchants who come from all the Coasts of India thither with their Wares may not transport it out of the Countrey This piece is called St. Thomas Formerly when the Portuguez had the Trade of Japon Macassar Sumatra China and Mosambique which they still preserve and is the place whither the Indians bring the Gold of the Abassins and Saba it was a wonderful thing to see the quantity of Gold which the Portuguez Coin'd and the several pieces of workmanship which they fram'd in Gold and sent into Forreign Countreys even to the West-Indies by the way of the Philippine Islands But now they have no other places but only Mosambique to furnish them with Gold they keep up those Pieces called St. Thomass's at a very high rate lest they should be carried out of the Countrey as I said before They have also Silver Pieces which they call Pardos which go for the value of 27 Sous of our Money As also a great quantity of small Copper and Tin-Money not much unlike that of the Kings already mentioned which they thread upon strings in particular numbers The Gold and Silver Money of Muscovy I Have observed in my Relations that in all parts of our Europe where they Coin Money there are great Sums transported all over Asia where they go currantly But for the Money of Muscovy there is great loss in transporting it any where else because the Prince enhances it to so high a value The pieces as well of Gold as Silver are very good Metal for the Gold in worth is somewhat higher than our Lewis Fig. 1 and 2. This piece of Gold weighs 14 Grains and to take the Gold at 48 Grains the Ounce would amount to 20 Sous one Deneer and one half-peny of our Money But going in Muscovy for 24 Sous there would be nineteen and an half loss to transport it any where else Fig. 3 and 4. Is a piece of Silver that weighs eight Grains and to take an Ounce of Silver at three Livres ten Sous it comes to a Sous of our Money But in the Countrey you have but fifty of these pieces or at most sometimes fifty two for one of our Crowns or a Real of Spain or an High-German Rixdollar Fig. 5 and 6. Is a piece of Silver also which only goes in Muscovy But I cannot tell in what Province it is Coin'd in regard there are no Arms upon it and that the most knowing persons to whom I shewed them could not tell me what the Characters meant which makes me think it is very ancient The piece weighs 25 Grains which comes to three of our Sous one Deneer and one half-peny This is all that I could collect of most certainty concerning the Money and Coins of the East during the long course of my Travels Nor do I believe that any person has undertaken before me to write upon the same Subject If any one of my Readers desires to see the real Pieces themselves as well in Gold and Silver as in Tin Copper Shells and Almonds he may without question obtain the Favour from Monsieur the first President to whose Study I devoted them all together with certain Medals of which that Supreme Senator most skilful in Antiquity has great store being still curious in searching after what is rare The end of the Coins TRAVELS IN INDIA The First Book What Roads to take in Travelling from Ispahan to Agra from Agra to Dehly and Gehanabatt where the Great Mogul Resides at present And how to Travel also to the Court of the King of Golconda to the King of Visapour and to many other Places in the Indies CHAP. I. The Road from Ispahan to Agra through Gomron Where is particularly describ'd the manner of Sailing from Ormus to Suratt IN this Relation of my Indian I will observe the same Method as in the Recital of my Persian Travels and begin with the description of the Roads which lead you from Ispahan to Dehly and Gehanadatt where the Great Mogul Resides at present Though the Indies stretch themselves front Persia for the space of above 400 Leagues together from the Ocean to that long Chain of Mountains that runs through the middle of Asia from the East to the West and which was known to Antiquity by the Name of Mount Caucasus or Mount Taurus yet there are not so many ways to travel out of Persia into the Indies as there are to travel out of Turky into Persia by reason that between Persia and the Indies there are nothing but vast Sands and Desarts where there is no water to be found So that you have but two Roads to choose in going from Ispahan to Agra The one is partly by Land and partly by Sea taking Ship at Ormus The other altogether by Land through Candahar The first of these two Roads is amply describ'd as far as Ormus at the end of my first Book of my Persian Travels So that I am now only to speak of the manner of Sailing from Ormus to Suratt There is no Sailing at all times upon the Indian as upon the European Seas You must observe the proper seasons which being elaps'd there is no more venturing The Months of November December January February and March are the only Months in the year to Embark from Ormus to Suratt and from Suratt to Ormus But with this difference that there is no stirring from Suratt after the end of February but you may Sail from Ormus till the end of March or the fifteenth of April For then the Western-winds that bring rain along with them into India begin to blow During the first four Months there blows
Grace in Paris it is cover'd within and without with black Marble the middle being of Brick Under this Cupola is an empty Tomb for the Begum is inter'd under the Arch of the lowest Platform The same change of Ceremonies which is observ'd under ground is observ'd above For they change the Tapestries Candles and other Ornaments at several times and there are always Mollah's attending to pray I saw the beginning and compleating of this great work that colt two and twenty years labour and twenty thousand men always at work so that you cannot conceive but that the Expence must be excessive Cha-jehan had begun to raise his own Monument on the other side of the River but the Wars with his Son broke off that design nor did Aurengzeb now reigning ever take any care to finish it There is an Eunuch who commands two thousand men that is entrusted to guard not only the Sepulcher of the Begum but also the Tasimacan On another side of the City appears the Sepulcher of King Akabar And as for the Sepulchers of the Eunuchs they have only one Platform with four little Chambers at the four Corners When you come to Agra from Dehly you meet a great Bazar near to which there is a Garden where King Jehan-guire Father of Cha-jehan lies interr'd Over the Garden Gate you see the Tomb it self beset with Portraitures cover'd with a black Hearse-Cloath or Pall with Torches of white Wax and two Jesuits attending at each end There are some who wonder that Cha-jehan against the practice of the Mahumetans who abhor Images did permit of carving but the reason conjectur'd at is that it is done upon the consideration that his Father and himself learnt from the Jesuites certain principles of Mathematicks and Astrology Though he had not the same kindness for them at another time for going one day to visit an Armenian that lay sick whose name was Corgia whom he lov'd very well and had honour'd with several Employments at what time the Jesuites who liv'd next to the Armenians house rang their Bell the sound thereof so displeas'd the King as being a disturbance to the sick person that in a great fury he commanded the Bell to be taken away and hung about his Elephants neck Some few days after the King seeing his Elephant with that great Bell about his neck fearing so great a weight might injure his Elephant caus'd the Bell to be carried to the Couteval which is a kind of a rail'd place where a Provost sits as a Judg and decides differences among the people of that Quarter where it has hung ever since This Armenian had been brought up with Cha-jehan and in regard he was an excellent Wit and an excellent Poet he was very much in the Kings favour who had confer'd upon him many fair Commands though he could never either by threats or promises win him to turn Mahometan CHAP. VIII The Road from Agra to Patna and Daca Cities in the Province of Bengala and of the Quarrel which the Author had with Cha-Est-Kan the King's Unckle I Departed from Agra toward Bengala the 25 th of November 1665 and that day I reach'd no farther than a very bad Inn distant from Agra costes 3 The 26 th I came to Beruzabad costes 9 This is a little City where at my return I received eight thousand Roupies being the remainder of the Money which Giafer-Kan ow'd me for Wares that he had bought at Janabat The 27 th to Serael Morlides costes 9 The 28 th to Serail Estanja costes 14 The 29 th to Serail Haii-mal costes 12 The 30 th to Serail Sekandera costes 13 The 1 st of December to Sanqual costes 14 I met that day 110 Waggons every Waggon drawn by sixOxen in every Waggon 50000 Roupies This is the Revenue of the Province of Bengala with all charges defraid and the Governor's Purse well-fill'd comes to 5500000 Roupies A league beyond Sanqual you must pass a River call'd Saingour which runs into Gemine not above half a league distant from it You pass over this River of Saingour upon a Stone-bridg and when you come from toward Bengala to go to Seronge or Surat if you have a mind to shorten your journey ten days you must leave Agra-Road and come to this Bridg and so Ferry over Gemine in a Boat But generally Agra-Road is taken because the other way you must travel five or six days together upon the stones and also for that you are to pass through the Territories of certain Raja's where you are in danger of being robb'd The second day I came to an Inn call'd Cherourabad costes 12 When you are got about half the way you pass through Gianabad a little City near to which about a quarter of a League on this side crossing a Field of Millet I saw a Rhinoceros feeding upon Millet-Canes which a little Boy of nine or ten years old gave him to eat When I came near the Boy he gave me some Millet to give the Rhinoceros who immediately came to me opening his chops three or four times I put the Millet into his mouth and when he had swallow'd it he still open'd his mouth for more The 3 d I came to Serrail Chajeada costes 10 The 4 th to Serrail Atakan costes 13 The 5 th to Aureng-Abad costes 9 Formerly this Village had another name but being the place where Aureng-zeb gave Battel to his Brother Sultan Sujah who was Governor of all the Province of Bengala Aureng-zeb in Memory of the Victory he had won gave it his own name and built there a very fair House with a Garden and a little Mosquee The 6 th to Alinchan costes 9 Two leagues on this side Alinchan you meet the River Ganges Monsieur Bernier the King's Physitian and another person whose name was Rachepot with whom I travell'd were amaz'd to see that a River that had made such a noise in the World was no broader than the River Seine before the Lovre believing before that it had been as wide as the Danaw above Belgrade There is also so little water in it from March to June or July when the rains fall that it will not bear a small Boat When we came to Ganges we drank every one of us a Glass of Wine mixing some of the River-water with it which caus'd a griping in our bellies But our Servants that drank it alone were worse tormented than we The Hollanders who have an House upon the Bank of Ganges never drink the water of this River until they have boil'd it But for the natural Inhabitants of the Countrey they are so accustom'd to it from their youth that the King and the Court drink no other You shall see a vast number of Camels every day whose business only it is to fetch water from the Ganges The 7 th I came to Halabas costes 8 Halabas is a great City built upon a point of Land where Ganges and Gemine meet There is a fair Castle of hew'n Stone
opinion that Elephants do great matters in War which may be sometimes true but not alwaws for very often instead of doing mischief to the Enemy they turn upon those that lead them and rout their own party as Aureng-Zeb found by experience at the Siege of this City He was twenty days before Daman and resolv'd at length to Storm it upon a Sunday believing that the Christians were like the Jews and would not defend it upon that day He that commanded the Place was an old Souldier who had serv'd in France and had three Sons with him In the Town were eight hundred Gentlemen and other stout Souldiers who came from all parts to signalize their valour at that Siege For though the Mogul had in his Army above forty thousand men he could not hinder relief from being put into Daman by Sea in regard that he wanted Ships The Sunday that the Prince intended to Storm the Governour of Daman as had been order'd at the Councel of War caus'd Mass to be said presently after Midnight and then made a Sally with all his Cavalry and some part of his Infantry who were to fall on upon that quarter which was guarded by two hundred Elephants Among those Elephants they flung a great number of Fire-works which so affrighted them in the dark of the Night that knowing not whither they went nor being to be rul'd by their Governours they turn'd upon the Besiegers with so much fury that in less than two or three hours half the Army of Aureng-Zeb was cut in pieces and in three days the Siege was rais'd nor would the Prince after that have any more to do with the Christians I made two Voiages to Goa the one at the beginning of the year 1641. the second at the beginning of the year 1648. The first time I stay'd but five days and return'd by Land to Surat From Goa I went to Bicholly which is upon the main Land thence to Visapour thence to Golconda thence to Aureng-abat and so to Surat I could have gone to Surat without passing through Golconda but my business led me that way From Goa to Visapour costes 85 Which takes up generally eight days journey From Visapour to Golconda costes 100 Which I travel'd in nine days From Golconda to Aureng-abat the Stages are not so well order'd being sometimes sixteen sometime twenty five sometimes twenty Leagues asunder From Aureng-abat to Surat takes up sometimes twelve sometimes fifteen sometimes sixteen days journey Visapour is a great scambling City wherein there is nothing remarkable neither as to the publick Edifices nor as to Trade The Kings Palace is a vast one but ill built and the access to it is very dangerous in regard there are abundance of Crocodiles that lie in the Water which encompass it The King of Visapour has three good ports in his Dominions Rejapour Daboult and Crapaten The last is the best of all where the Sea beats upon the foot of the Mountain and you have fourteen or fifteen Fathom Water near the Land Upon the top of the Mountain there is a Fort with a Spring of Water in it Crapaten is not above five days journey from Goa to the North. And Rabaque where the King of Visapour sels his Pepper is as far distant from it to the East The King of Visapour and the King of Golconda have been formerly tributary to the Great Mogul but now they are absolute of themselves This Kingdom was for some time disquieted by the revolt of Nair-seva-gi Captain of the King of Visapour's Guards After which the young Seva-gi his Son conceiv'd so deadly a hatred against the King that he made himself the head of certain Banditi and as he was both wise and liberal he got together so many Horse and Foot as made a compleat Army the Souldiers flocking to to him from all parts for the reputation of his Liberality And he was just about to have led them to action when the King of Visapour happen'd to dye without Children so that with little or no trouble he got possession of one part of the Coast of Malavar taking Rejapour Rasigar Crapaten Daboul and other places They report that upon his demolishing the fortifications of Rasigar he found vast Treasures which help'd him to pay his Souldiers who were alwayes well paid Some years before the death of the King the Queen perceiving no probability of having any Children adopted a little Boy upon whom she bestow'd all her affections and caused him to be brought up in the Doctrine of Haly's Sect The King upon his Death-bed caus'd this Adopted Son to be Proclaim'd King but Seva-gi having a numerous Army continu'd the War and much disturb'd the Regency of the Queen At length he made the first propositions for Peace which was concluded upon conditions that he should quietly enjoy the Territories which he had subdu'd that he should become Tributary to the King and pay him the half of all his Revenue The young King being thus fix'd in his Throne the Queen Regent went in Pilgrimage to Mecca and I was at Ispahan when she pass'd through the Town in her return home When I made my second Voiage to Goa I embark'd in a Dutch Vessel call'd the Maestricht which carry'd me to Mingrela where I landed the eleventh day of January 1648. Mingrela is a large Town extended half a League in length upon the Sea in the Territories of Visapour It is one of the best Roads in all India where the Hollanders take in fresh Provisions every time they sail to block up Goa as also when they are bound upon Trade for many other parts of India For at Mingrela there is both excellent Water and excellent Rice This Town is also very famous for Cardamoms which the Eastern people esteem the best of Spices not being to be had in any other Countrey which makes that sort of Commodity very scarce and very dear There is also made great store of course Calecuts that are spent in the Countrey besides great quantities of course Matting that serves to pack up goods So that both in respect of Trade as also for the furnishing their Ships with fresh Provisions the Hollauders have a Factory in the Town For as I said before not only all Vessels that come from Batavia from Japon from Bengala Ceylan and other places and those that are bound for Surat the Red Sea Ormus Balsara c. both going and coming come to an Anchor in the Road of Mingrela but also while the Hollanders are at Wars with the Portugals and lye before the Bar of Goa where they have usually eight or ten Sail they send their small Barks to Mingrela for Provisions For the Hollanders lye eight Months in a year before the mouth of the Port of Goa so that there can nothing pass into Goa by Sea all that time You must also take notice that the Bar of Goa is also stopt up some part of the year by the Sands which the South and West-winds that precede
the great Rains cast up so that there is not above a foot or a foot and a half Water for very small Boats But when the great Rains come the Water swells and carrying away the Sands opens a passage for the great Vessels CHAP. XIII Observations upon the present State of the City of Goa GOA lies in 15 Degrees 32 minutes of Latitude in an Island six or seven leagues about upon the River of Mandoua ten leagues from the mouth of the River The Island abounds in Corn and Rice and bears several sorts of Fruit as Manga's Anana's Adam's Figs and Coco's But most certainly a Pippin is far beyond all those fruits All those that have seen Europe and Asia agree with me that the Port of Goa the Port of Constantinople and the Port of Toulou are three of the fairest Ports of all our vast Continent The City is very large and the Walls are of good Stone The Houses are for the most part very magnificently built especially the Viet-Roy's Palace There are in it a great number of Apartments and in one part of the Rooms and Chambers which are very large hang several Pictures wherein are severally painted by themselves the Ships that come from Lisbon to Goa with those that are bound from Goa to Lisbon with the name of the Vessel the Captain and the number of Guns which the Ship carries If the City were not so closely environ'd with Hills it would doubtless be better inhabited and the air would be much more wholsome But these Mountains keep off the cool winds which is the reason that the heats are very excessive Beef and Pork is the ordinary diet of the Inhabitants of Goa They have good store of Poultry and some few Pidgeons but though Goa be very neer the Sea Fish is very scarce They have abundance of all sorts of Sweet-meats and feed upon them very much Before the Hollanders had brought down the power of the Portugals in India there was nothing to be seen at Goa but Magnificence and Riches but the Dutch having every where got their Trade out of their hands they have lost their springs of Gold and Silver and are fallen from their former splendor In my first Voyage to Goa I met with people of fashion that had above two-thousand Crowns Revenue at my second Voyage the same persons came privately to me in the evening to beg an Alms yet abating nothing for all that of their inherent pride and haughtiness Nay their Women will come in Palleki's to the door and stay while a Boy that attends them has brought you a Complement from his Mistress Then usually you send them what you please or carry it your self if you have a curiosity to see their faces which rarely can be done because they cover themselves with a veil from head to foot Moreover if you go your self to present them your Charity they will give you a little note containing a recommendation of some religious Person who signifies what substantial persons they have been and how they came to fall to decay Sometimes if the person be handsom she is desir'd to walk in and to take a Collation which lasts most commonly till the next day Hadnot the Portugals so many Fortresses to keep upon the Land or had not out of their contempt of the Hollander they neglected their affairs they could never have been reduc'd to so low a condition The Portugueses have no sooner made the Cape of Good-Hope but they are all Fidalgues or Gentlemen and add the Title of Dom to the single name of Pedro or Jeronimo which they receiv'd at their Baptism From whence they are call'd the Fidalgues or Gentlemen of the Cape of Good-Hope As they change their Names they also change their Nature for it may be truly said that the Indian-Portugals are the most revengeful persons and the most jealous of their Wives of any persons in the World And when the least suspition creeps into their noddles they rid themselves of them either by Poison or Dagger If they have an enemy they never pardon him but if he be a person of that courage that they dare not grapple with him their Masters have attending upon them a sort of black Slaves that if they command them to kill any one the Slaves will do it with a blind obedience which they do either with a Dagger or a Pistol or else by knocking the party on the head with a club which they always carry about the length of an Half-Pike If it happen that they stay too long before they can meet with an opportunity ere they can dispatch their mischief and that they cannot conveniently meet the person to be murther'd in the Fields or in the City they are no such Saints but they will kill him at the very Altar while he is at his devotions of which I saw two fatal presidents the one at Goa the other at Daman At Daman three or four of these black Slaves perceiving some persons whom they were to murther at Mass in the Church discharg'd their Muskets at them through the windows never considering what other mischief they might do to any other persons against whom they had no quarrel or design The same thing happen'd at Goa where seven men were kill'd close by the Altar and the Priest that said Mass was dangerously wounded at the same time Nor do their Courts of Justice take any cognizance of these crimes for generally the guilty persons are the chiefest of the Countrey As for their Suits of Law there is no end of them for they are manag'd by the Canarins who are Natives of the Countrey whose business it is to follow the Law the most subtil and crafty sort of people in the World To return to the ancient Power of the Portugals in India most certain it is that if the Hollanders had never come among them you should not have seen a bit of Iron in any Portugal Merchant's House but all Gold or Silver for they needed no more than to make three or four Voyages to Japan the Philippin or Molucca Islands or to China to enrich themselves gaining at their return above five or six for one upon rich Merchandizes The very Souldiers as well as the Captains and Governors enrich'd themselves by Trade There was not any person unless it be the Governor who was not a Trader or if he does Trade it is in another man's name for he has Revenue enough without it Formerly it was one of the fairest employments of the World to be Vice-Roy of Goa and there are but few Monarchs that have Governments at their disposal which are equal in value to some of those which depend upon this Vice-Roy The chief Command is that of Mozambique for three years In those three years the Governor gets above four or five-hunder'd-thousand Crowns and sometimes more if in all that time they receive no losses from the Cafres These Cafres are people that bring Gold for the Commodities which they carry
When they were brought to Goa they could never be brought to learn any thing of the Portugal Language So that they could gettout of them nothing of that further discovery at which they aim'd of a Country from whence they only brought away two pound of Gold three pound of Ambergreese and thirty-five or forty Elephants teeth One of the Cafres liv'd but six months the other fifteen but both languish'd and pin'd to death for grief to be so trapann'd From Goa I pass'd to Mingrela where there fell out an accident not to be forgotten An Idolater dying and the Fire being ready prepar'd for the burning of the Body his Wife who had no Children by the permission of the Governour came to the Fire and stood among the Priests and her Kindred to be burnt with the Body of her deceas'd Husband As they were taking three turns according to custom about the place where the Fire was kindl'd there fell of a sudden so violent a Shower that the Priests willing to get out of the rain thrust the Woman all along into the Fire But the Shower was so vehement and endur'd so long a while that the Fire was quench'd and the Woman was not burn'd About midnight she rose and went and knock'd at the door of one of her Kinsmens Houses where Father Zenon and many Hollanders saw her looking so ghastly and grimly that it was enough to have scar'd them however the pain that she endur'd did not so far terrifie her but that three days after accompany'd by her Kindred she went and was burn'd according to her first intention CHAP. XV. The Story of Father Ephraim and how he was put into the Inquisition at Goa by a surprisal THE Chek who had marri'd the Eldest of the Princesses of Golconda not being able to perswade Father Ephraim to stay at Bagnabar where he promis'd to build him an House and a Church gave him an Ox and two Men to carry him to Maslipatan where he staid to embark for Pegu according to the order of his Superiors But finding no Vessel ready to set sail the English drew him to Madrespatan where they have a Fort call'd St. George and a general Factory for every thing that concerns the Countreys of Golconda Pegu and Bengala They over-perswaded him that he might reap a fairer Harvest in this place than in any other part of the Indies to which end they presently built him a very neat House and a Church But in the conclusion the English sought not so much the interest of Father Ephraim as their own For Madrespatan is but half a league from St. Thomas a Sea-Town upon the Coast of Cormandel indifferently well-built as formerly belonging to the Portugals In that place there was a very great Trade especially for Calicuts and a very great number of Merchants and Workmen liv'd there the greatest part whereof desir'd to inhabit at Madrespatan with the English but that there was no place for them to exercise their Religion in that place But when the English had built a Church and perswaded Father Ephraim to stay many of the Portuguezes quitted St. Thomas by reason of the frequent Preaching of Father Ephraim and his great care as well of the Natives as of the Portugals Father Ephraim was born at Auxerre the Brother of Monsieur Chateau de Boys Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris who was very happy in learning Languages so that in a little time he spoke English and Portuguez perfectly well But now the Clergy of St. Thomas-Church seeing Father Ephraim in so high a reputation and that he drew the greatest part of their Congregation to Madrespatan were so enrag'd against him that they resolv'd to ruine him And thus they laid their plot The English and Portuguezes being neer-neighbours could not choose but have several quarrels one among another and still Father Ephraim was appli'd to for the composing their differences Now one day it happen'd that the Portuguezes quarrell'd on purpose with some English Mariners that were in St. Thomas-Road and the English came by the worst The English President resolving to have satisfaction for the injury a War broke out between the two Nations which had ruin'd all the Trade of that Countrey had not the Merchants on both sides been very diligent to bring things to an accommodation not knowing any thing of the wicked contrivance of particular persons against Father Ephraim But all the interposition of the Merchants avail'd nothing the Friar must be concern'd in the affair he must be the Mediator to act between party and party which he readily accepted But he was no sooner enter'd into St. Thomas but he was seiz'd by ten or twelve Officers of the Inquisition who shipp'd him away in a Frigat that was bound at the same time for Goa They fetter'd and manacl'd him and kept him two and twenty days at Sea before they would let him once put his foot a-shoar though the best part of the Mariners lay a-shoar every night When they came to Goa they staid till night before they would land Father Ephraim to carry him to the Inquisition-House For they were afraid left if they should land him in the day the people should know of it and rise in the rescue of a person who was in an high veneration over all India The news was presently spread abroad in all parts that Father Ephraim was in the Inquisition which very much amaz'd all the French-men But he that was most surpriz'd and most troubl'd at it was Friar Zenon the Capuchin who had been formerly Father Ephraim's Companion who after he had consulted his friends resolv'd to go to Goa though he were put into the Inquisition himself For when a man is once shut up there if any one have the boldness to speak to the Inquisitor or to any of his Councel in his behalf he is presently put into the Inquisition also and accounted a greater Offender than the other Neither the Arch Bishop nor the Vice-Roy themselves dare interpose though they are the only two persons over whom the Inquisition has no power For if they do any thing to offend them they presently write to the Inquisitor and his Council in Portugal and as the King and the Inquisitor-General commands they either proceed against or send those two great persons into Portugal Notwithstanding all these considerations Father Zenon taking along with him the Sieur de la Boulay a decaid Gentleman goes to Goa where when he arriv'd he was visited by some friends who advise him to have a care not to open his mouth in the behalf of Father Ephraim unless he intended to bear him company in the Inquisition Father Zenon seeing he could do nothing at Goa advis'd the Sieur de Boulay to return to Surat and goes himself directly to Madrespatan more particularly to inform himself concerning the reason of Father Ephraim's being sent away But when he understood how he had been betraid at St. Thomas he resolv'd to have satisfaction and
flaw the first Carat were worth 160 Livres but for that reason I reckon it not at above 150 and so by the rule it comes to 11723278 Livres 14 Sous and 3 Liards Did the Diamond weigh no more than 279 Carats it would not be worth above 11676150 Livres so that the nine 16 ths comes to 47128 Livres 14 Sous and 3 Liards The Great Duke of Tuscany's Diamond weighs 139 Carats clean and well-shap'd cut in facets every way but in regard the water enclines somewhat toward the colour of Citron I do not value the first Carat above 135 Livres so that by the rule the Diamond ought to be worth 2608335 Livres A Diamond by the Miners is call'd Iri which the Turks Persians and Arabians call Almas CHAP. XVI Of Colour'd Stones and the Places where they are found THere are but two places in all the East where Colour'd-Stones are found within the Kingdom of Pegu and the Island of Ceylan The first is a Mountain twelve days journey or there-abouts from Siren toward the North-east the name whereof is Capelan In this Mine are found great quantities of Rubies and Espinels or Mothers of Rubies yellow Topazes blew and white Saphirs Jacinths Amethysts and other Stones of different colours Among these Stones which are hard they find other Stones of various colours that are very soft which they call Bacan in the language of the Countrey but are of little or no esteem Siren is the name of the City where the King of Pegu resides and Ava is the Port of his Kingdom From Ava to Siren you go by water in great flat-bottom'd-Barks which is a voyage of sixty days There is no going by land by reason the Woods are full of Lions Tigers and Elephants It is one of the poorest Countreys in the World where there is no Commodity but Rubies the whole Revenue whereof amounts not to above a hunder'd-thousand Crowns Among all the Stones that are there found you shall hardly see one of three or four Carats that is absolutely clean by reason that the King strictly enjoyns his Subjects not to export them out of his Dominions besides that he keeps to himself all the clean Stones that are found So that I have got very considerably in my Travels by carrying Rubies out of Europe into Asia Which makes me very much suspect the relation of Vincent le Blanc who reports that he saw in the King's Palace Rubies as big as eggs All Rubies are sold by weights which are call'd Ratis that is three grains and a half or seven 8 ths of a Carat and the payments are made in old Pagods A Ruby weighing one Ratis has been sold for Pagods 20 A Ruby of 2 Ratis and one 8 th Pagods 85 A Ruby of 3 Ratis and one 4 th Pagods 185 A Ruby of 4 Ratis and five 8 ths Pagods 450 A Ruby of 5 Ratis Pagods 525 A Ruby of 6 Ratis and a half Pagods 920 If a Ruby exceed six Ratis and be a perfect Stone there is no value to be set upon it The Natives of the Countrey call all Colour'd-Stones Rubies distinguishing them only by the colour Saphirs they call Blue-Rubies Amethysts they call Violet-Rubies Topazes Yellow-Rubies and so of other Stones The other place where Rubies are found is a River in the Island of Ceylan which descends from certain high Mountains in the middle of the Island which swells very high when the rains fall but when the waters are low the people make it their business to search among the Sands for Rubies Saphirs and Topazes All the Stones that are found in this River are generally fairer and clearer than those of Pegu. I forgot to tell you that there are some Rubies but more Balleis-Rubies and an abundance of Bastard-Rubies Saphirs and Topazes found in the Mountains that run along from Pegu to the Kingdom of Camboya Colour'd-Stones are also found in some parts of Europe as in Bohemia and Hungary In Hungary there is a Mine where they find certain Flints of different bigness some as big as eggs some as big as a man's fist which being broken contain a Ruby within as hard and as clean as those of Pegu. In Hungary there is a Mine of Opals which Stone is no-where else to be found in the World but there The Turquoise is no-where to be found but in Persia. Where there are two Mines The one is called the Old-Rock three days journey from Meched toward the North-west near a great Town which goes by the name of Michabourg The other which is call'd the New-Rock is five days journey off Those of the New-Rock are of a paler blue enclining to white and less esteem'd so that you may have a great many for a little Money Some years since the King of Persia commanded that no Turquoises should be digg'd out of the Old-Rock but only for himself making use of those Turquoises instead of enamelling to adorn Hilts of Swords Knives and Daggers of which the Persians are altogether ignorant As for Emraulds it is a vulgar error to say they come originally from the East And therefore when Jewellers and Gold-smiths to prefer a deep-colour'd Emrauld enclining to black tell ye it is an Oriental Emrauld they speak that which is not true I confess I could never discover in what part of our Continent those Stones are found But sure I am that the Eastern-part of the World never produc'd any of those Stones neither in the Continent nor in the Islands True it is that since the discovery of America some of those Stones have been often brought rough from Peru to the Philippine-Islands whence they have been transported into Europe but this is not enough to make them Oriental Besides that at this time they send them into Spain through the North-Sea CHAP. XVII Of Pearls and the Places where they Fish for them IN the first place there is a Fishery for Pearls in the Persian Gulf round about the Island of Bakren It belongs to the King of Persia and there is a strong Fort in it Garrison'd with three hundred men The Water which the people drink in that Island and all along the Coast of Persia is brackish and ill-tasted so that only the Natives of the Country can drink it Fresh water costs Strangers very dear for the people fetch it sometimes one League sometimes two Leagues from the Island from the bottom of the Sea being let down by a Rope with a Bottle or two ty'd about their wastes which they fill and stop it well and then giving the Rope a twitch are hall'd up again by their Companions Every one that fishes pays to the King of Persia five Abassi's whether he get any thing or no. The Merchant also pays the King some small matter for every thousand Oysters The second Fishery for Pearls is right against Bakren upon the Coast of Arabia the happy near the City of Catifa which together with all the Country about it is under the Jurisdiction of an
whereof make a Salt so tart that it is impossible to eat it until the tartness be tak'n away which they do by putting the ashes in water where they stir them ten or twelve hours together then they strain the substance through a Linnen Cloth and boil it as the water boils away the bottom thick'ns and when the water is all boil'd away they find at the bottom very good and white Salt Of the ashes of these Fig-leaves they make a Lye wherewith they wash their Silk which makes it as white as Snow but they have not enough to whiten half the Silk that grows in the Country Kenneroof is the name of the City where the King of Asem keeps his Court twenty-five or thirty days journey from that which was formerly the Capital City and bore the same name The King requires no Subsidies of his people but all the Mines in his Kingdom are his own where for the ease of his Subjects he has none but slaves that work so that all the Natives of Asem live at their ease and every one has his house by himself and in the middle of his ground a fountain encompass'd with trees and most commonly every one an Elephant to carry their Wives for they have four Wives and when they marry they say to one I take thee to serve me in such a thing to the other I appoint thee to do such business so that every one of the Wives knows what she has to do in the House The men and women are generally well complexion'd only those that live more Southerly are more swarthy and not so subject to Wens in their throats neither are they so well featur'd besides that the women are somewhat flat Nos'd In the Southern parts the people go stark naked only covering their private parts with a Bonnet like a blew Cap upon their heads hung about with Swines teeth They pierce holes in their ears that you may thrust your thumb in whete they hang pieces of Gold and Silver Bracelets also of Tortoise-shells and Sea-shells as long as an egg which they saw into Circles are in great esteem among the meaner sort as Bracelets of Coral and yellow Amber among those that are rich When they bury a man all his Friends and Relations must come to the burial and when they lay the body in the ground they all take off their Bracelets from their Armsand Legs and bury them with the Corps CHAP. XVIII Of the Kingdom of Siam THE greatest part of the Kingdom of Siam lies between the Golf of Siam and the Golf of Bengala bordering upon Pegu toward the North and the Peninsula of Malacca toward the South The shortest and nearest way for the Europaeans to go to this Kingdom is to go to Ispahan from Ispahan to Ormus from Ormus to Surat from Surat to Golconda from Golconda to Maslipatan there to embark for Denouserin which is one of the Ports belonging to the Kingdom of Siam From Denouserin to the Capital City which is also call'd Siam is thirty-five days journey part by Water part by Land by Waggon or upon Elephants The way whether by Land or Water is very troublesome for by Land you must be always upon your guard for fear of Tigers and Lions by Water by reason of the many falls of the River they are forc'd to hoise up their Boats with Engines All the Countrey of Siam is very plentiful in Rice and Fruits the chiefest whereof are Mangos Durions and Mangustans The Forests are full of Harts Elephants Tigers Rhinocero's and Apes where there grow also large Bambou's in great abundance Under the knots of these Bambou's are Emets nests as big as a mans head where every Emet has his apartiment by himself but there is but one hole to enter into the nest They make their nests in these Canes to preserve themselves from the rains which continue four or five months together In the night time the Serpents are very busie There are some two foot long with two heads but one of them has no motion There is also another creature in Siam like our Salamander with a forked tail and very venomous The Rivers in this Kingdom are very large and that which runs by Siam is equally as large as the rest The water is very wholesome but it is very full of Crocodiles of a monstrous bigness that devour men if they be not very careful of themselves These Rivers overflow their banks while the Sun is in the Southern Tropick which makes the fields to be very fertile as far as they flow and it is observ'd that the Rice grows higher or lower as the floods do more or less increase Siam the Capital City of the Kingdom where the King keeps his Court is wall'd about being about three of our Leagues in circuit it is situated in an Island the River running quite round it and might be easily brought into every street in the Town if the King would but lay out as much Money upon that design as he spends in Temples and Idols The Siamers have thirty-three Letters in their Alphabet But they write from the left to the right as we do contrary to the custom of Japon China Cochinchina and Tunquin who write from the right to the left All the Natives of this Kingdom are slaves either to the King or the great Lords The women as well as the men cut their hair neither are they very rich in their habits Among their complements the chiefest is never to go before a person that they respect unless they first ask leave which they do by holding up both their hands Those that are rich have several Wives The Money of the Country is already describ'd The King of Siam is one of the richest Monarchs in the East and stiles himself King of Heaven and Earth though he be Tributary to the Kings of China He seldom shews himself to his Subjects and never gives Audience but to the principal Favourites of his Court He trusts to his Ministers of State for the management of his affairs who sometimes make very bad use of their authority He never shews himself in publick above twice a year but then it is with an extraordinary magnificence The first is when he goes to a certain Pagod within the City which is guilded round both within and without There are three Idols between six and seven foot high which are all of massie Gold which he believes he renders propitious to him by the great store of Alms that he distributes among the poor and the presents which he makes to the Priests Then he goes attended by all his Court and puts to open view the richest Ornaments he has One part of his magnificence consists in his train of two hundred Elephants among which there is one that is white which the King so highly esteems that he stiles himself King of the White Elephant The second time the King appears in publick is when he goes to another Pagod five or six Leagues
Horn who came first aboard us I produc'd my Keys and offer'd my Chests to be open'd But the Zealander more civil than the Horner deliver'd me my Keys again and taking my word told me I was free to take away my goods And indeed I have always observ'd that the Northern people are always more rude and ungentile than the Southern As for the 17500 Florins which the General of Batavia promis'd should be paid me upon my arrival in Holland I receiv'd so many delays and put off's that I was at length forc'd to commence a Suit that lasted above two years nor could I get a publick Notary either at Amsterdam or the Hague that would make me out a Protest every one fearing the Directors who were both Judges and Parties At length after five years wrangling and jangling the Director wrote to my Brother at Batavia for I was then return'd again to the Indies that if I would accept of 10000 Livers he might receive it for me which he did and was forc'd to give them an acquittance for the whole This is the return which I made from the Indies in the year 1649 and the only time that ever I return'd by Sea having perform'd all the rest of my Travels by Land not counting my short Voyages through the Mediterranean for any thing And as for my first Travels I perform'd them all by Land from Paris through Germany and Hungary as far as Constantinople whither I return'd again in the year 1669. From Constantinople I went to Smyrna thence I sail'd for Ligorn from Ligorn I travel'd by Land to Genoa thence to Turin and so to Paris The End THE INDEX TO THE Indian Travels A. ABdoul-Coutou-Sha the present King of Golconda pag. 65. His Children 66. His reply to the Canoneer that would have taken off Aurengzeb's head 68. See Mirgimola Abdul Feta Gelul Eddin Mahomet 107. Aceph Ben Ali takes Mascate from the Dutch 145. His wondrous Pearl ibid. Agra the King's Palace there 48 49. Alegamma Motiar of Ceylan turns Christian and his answer to the Jesuits 163. Amadabat and the Trade thereof 37. Amber where found 151 152. Ambergreese where found 152. Apes their antipathy against the Crows 40. The danger of killing one ibid. Hospitals for them 48. How set together by the ears 94. Asem the Kingdom 187. Asouf-Kan's Policy 112. Assists Sha-Jehan ibid. Ast-Kan 60. Takes Dultabat 60 61. Atek 44. Ava 143. Augans a strange sort of people 44. Aureng-abat made a City 61. Aureng-zeb his cruelty at Callabas 33 35. His Dominions 106. His Power 108. His Ambition and craft he joyns with his Brother Morad-Backshe 110 defeats Dara-Sha ibid. deceives Morad and sends him to Prison ibid. He ascends the Throne 116. He affronts his Father 120. His Embassadors affronted by the King of Persia 121. His State when he sits upon his Throne 123. B. BAgnagar see Golconda pag. 61. Banarou 52. Bannians never kill any living thing 37. Their cruelty to them that do ibid. Their veneration for Apes 39 out-do the Jews 44. Bantam the King visited by the Author his Entertainment 196 197 c. Bargant 41. The Raja of Bargant entertains the Author Baroche 36. Begum Saheb 108 imprison'd by Aurengzeb depriv'd of her wealth her death suspected 113 114 restor'd to favour her wit 121. Bengala the Revenue of it 51. Bezoar 153 c. Boutan a Kingdom the Commodities thereof 182 183 c. Bramins a strange story of one 172. Brampour 31 a Tumuli there and the occasion ibid. Broakers Indian 133. Buildings publick in India how rear'd 35. C. CAboul pag 44. Callabas 33. Calicuts where made 31 33 40 43 52. Cambava 36. Caravasera's Indian the method therein 32. Cardamoms where had 73. Carriages Indian 27. Carriers the Order and Government among them Caste the signification and kinds 161 162. Cattel how fed in India 97. Chalaour 42. Cheats in Indian Commodities 132 133. Check of Mecca comes to Golconda in disguise 66. Marries the King's Daughter 67. Hinders him from surrendring to Aurengzeb 68. Cheraffs-Indian Bankers 22 subtiler then the Jews 23. Chineses poison the Dutch Souldiers 173. Chites 40. Chitpour ib. Cifers Indian 23. Cochin Besieg'd by the Dutch 88 Taken 89. Dutch make a mock King of it ibid. Collasar 33. Commodities of the Great Mogul's Countrey 126 c. and their price 128 129 130. Comoukes a description of the People and Countrey 204 c. Candevir 93. Corral Where found 151. Cottons where made 31 36. Where whiten'd 36. Coulour the Diamond-Mine 137 141. Coins Arabian 1. Mogul's 2. His Tributaries 3. Coins call'd Pagods 4 5. English and Dutch 5 6. Made by the King of Chida and Pera 6. By the King of Achen Kings of Macassar the Celebes and Camboya 7. By the King of Siam ib. By the Kings of Asem Tipoura Arakan and Pegu 8. Coins of China and Tunquin ib. Of Japon 9. Coins Indian representing the twelve signs 10. Coins Indian 22. Coins made by the Portugals 12. Coins Muscovian 13. Coins European their value in India 21 22. Coinage Indian 17. What loss what gain by it ib. Thrown about at the King's Ascent to the Throne 107. Currant at the Diamond-Mines 141. Cranganor 89 promis'd by the Dutch to Samarin ib. Demolish'd ib. Crocodiles may be wounded 55. How they dye ib. Customs Indian 17. Customs affronted by an English Captain 17. Exacted by the Persians from the English 75. D. DAca pag. 55. Daman besieg'd by Aureng-zeb 72. Dara-Sha his duty to his Father 108. Defeated by his Brother 110. He flies into Scindi he fights a second Battel with Aurengzeb He is betraid by Jessomseing 114 then by Gion-Kan 115. His death 116. Dehly 45. De Lan a Dutch Chirurgeon le ts the Mogul his Mother and Wife Blood 103. Dervichs 4. See Faquirs Diamonds a discourse thereof 134 c. The forms of several Diamonds 148 149. Vulgar error concerning the purchase of them 141. Diamond Miners their customs 138. Dultabat 60 61. Dutch send an Embassador to China 192. Their revenge upon the Jesuits 193. Dutch break their word with the King of Caudy 194 with the King of Achen at War with the King of Java 202 they quarrel with the Author E. ELephants destroy the Bannian's Idols pag. 34 the Woods of Mirda 43 affrighted the loss of Aurengzeb's Army 72 how taken 95 how tam'd ib. Their fury ib. The difference between them 96. Eaten by the Natives ib. How taken in Ceilan ib. The tusks due to the Lord ib. How the female receives the male ib. A remark peculiar to Ceilan Elephants ib. Their age ib. The number kept by the Great Mogul and his Expences 97 how wash'd 103. Emir-jemla 116 118. Emraulds the vulgar error concerning them 114. Eunuchs covetous of Monuments 5. Exchange Indian 26 27. F. FAquirs their manner of travelling pag. 41 their Habit and Arms ib. The respect given them ib. Their Religion 160 their Penances 165 c. Their extravagancies returning from Mecca Feast the Great Mogul's grand Feast
Termerossa and Asshowa 20 miles from Temerossa it falls into the Jein Sea and hath a Course of 500 miles The next is the River of Balke which comes out from Cabardy and falls into the River of Terigke 200 miles from its Source which River of Terigke descends from the Mountains between Shollohofe Knasse and Mundarawa Knasse runs through the Countrey almost due East passes by Goracho Colloda thence to the Shussa and the Shunsa so on to the Weistra and 6 miles from Tumein between Tumein and the Commocks Countrey it falls into the Caspian Sea having a Course of 600 miles There is another River called Tumenka which is a branch of Terigke runs through Tumeine Town and 3 miles beyond it enters the Caspian Sea There is also another River which they call Keeslar which falls out of Terigke and 60 miles from Tumeine is received by the Caspian Sea Having formerly mentioned Pettigor I shall give you some Account thereof Pettigor being interpreted is in English 5 Hills They are five very great and high Mountains distant about 500 miles from the Black Sea and 700 from the Caspian beyond Cabardy I came thus to know them In the year 1618. I was sent with Shiedake Myrsa from Astracan to the Little Nagoy to seize upon Orrake Myrsa who being informed of our coming fled up to Pettigor yet he made not such hast but we overtook him and having fought overcame him and took away his Hords by which means I became acquainted with Pettigor Nevertheless there are higher Hills than Pettigor as Sneesnagore in Cabardy which is incredibly high which is in English the Hill of Snow for upon that and Shadgore which signifies a wonderful high Hill and overtops the former and so along for 100 miles from Cabardy to Shollohofe prodigious quantities of Snow are lodged which it's thought were never dissolved since the Creation I asked a Circassian Whether ever any Man arrived at the top of Shadgore which to me seemed much elevated above the rest who answered me They had a Tradition among them that formerly a Bohatteere whose Name was Hroda attempted to climb it and after two or three days hard labour arrived not unto the middle but after a few days being better accommodated he returned with a resolution if it were possible to see the top but was never afterwards heard of and added That it was to that day customary for the neighbouring Circasstans at a certain season of the year with divers Ceremonies and great Lamentations to bewail his loss The next Countrey to Sheercassen Land is Abassa which is situated between Circassia and Mingrellia and the Inhabitants are a kind of Circassians Mingrellia is under the Dominion of the Turks and lies on the Black Sea Of these two Countreys I have no great knowledge having only coasted them three or four times in Boats when I was among the Cossacks where also we landed divers times taking store of Kine and Sheep but no Prisoners because they affirmed themselves to be Christians They are a proper handsome People but very poor and notorious Thieves for they steal not only Goods but even Women and Children from each other and sell them unto the Turks and Tartars chiefly for Salt which is there very scarce Next unto Mingrellia is Georgia whose Inhabitants are little better than the former only they have a kind of Scripture for they worship Idols or Images yet have Cloisters and a sort of Monks with some Priests of the Greek Belief I once landed in Georgia with an Army of 5000 Men we marched up into the Countrey until we came within a days journey of Deimur Capou or the Iron Gate which is a narrow passage between Georgia and Anatolia with Rocks on each side and a strong Town built in the midst We stayed ten days ravaging the Countrey they told us this Town and Castle belonged to the King of Persia and there is no other passage out of Georgia into Persia but through it The next Countrey unto Georgia is Anatolia where our Traveller resided several years having been sold by the Precopensian Tartars unto a Turkish Spahi or Timariot of which Countrey and the Manners of the Inhabitants he gives a large Description But we being sufficiently informed thereof by divers intelligent Europeans who dwelt long in those Parts shall with our Traveller pass on to those Countreys which are less known But first we will take his Account of the Periplus of the Euxine or Black Sea From Fennara which is at the head of the Strait or Gulf that enters the Black Sea to Precop is 700 miles from thence to Caffa a noted City and Port in Crim 300 miles to Asshowa 500 miles to Temerossa 500 miles to Mingrellia 400 miles to Trebezond 400 miles and from thence unto Constantinople 1000 miles in all 3800 miles Thus much I know of the Black Sea which I have three times coasted by Sea and traced above half by Land so that now it is time to speak concerning the Caspian Sea and shew all the Kingdoms and Countreys which lie upon it beginning at Astracan and proceeding thence Eastwards until I return unto the same City from the South Astracan is placed on a rising ground not far from the mouth of the Volga from which it is not distant above 50 miles it is in an Island on the Great Nagoy side made by the River Volga and a branch thereof having the Caspian Sea on the South The Town or City is secured by a strong Castle furnished with store of great Ordnance and in the midst of the Castle is a Roskade which commands both Castle Town and the Fields round about for above a mile The Tartar's Town is adjoyning placed near unto Cutuma which is a River naturally derived from the Volga or one of its many branches so that the Town is incompassed with Waters having the main body of the Volga on the West and Cutuma on the East Now if you would know whence the Volga comes I will acquaint you with what I have learned from the Muscovites It s utmost Source is said to be at the foot of a great Tree whence it runs unto Jerislave 1000 miles whence it proceeds to Neisna 500 miles and thence unto Cassan 300 miles from Cassan to Samara 500 to Saratoft 350 miles to Saraichena 350 and thence unto Astracan 500 miles from whence it is as we said before unto the Caspian Sea 50 miles in all 3550 miles The Volga is a wonderful great River abounding with divers sorts of great Fish as Sturgeon Bellouke Severuke Shelren Sterleke Som Sassan Suke Soudake Konnee Sablee Lessee Wobla Tarane and many others both great and small which I cannot readily call unto remembrance notwithstanding that I dwelt there ten years The Volga enters the Caspian Sea by 22 mouths and upon each of them is an Oughsuke or Fish-wear for to take Sturgeon every one of which Oughsukes is called by the name of the Water as Soellova Dertullee Bosserigee and
concerning it I shall pass through it unto the Comukes Land of which I have obtained more perfect knowledge both by War and Traffick This Countrey is bounded on the South by Persia on the East by the Caspian Sea Westward by Circassia and on the North by the River of Tumeine on which stands a Town of the same Name from which unto Chahamate the most Northerly Habitation of Persia is 600 miles A great part of this Countrey especially Westward is very mountainous I could never learn where it doth exactly terminate I have been in four of their Towns The first is Tarkee where Gildar whom they own for their Prince doth ordinarily reside The second is Derbeine in the Mountains The third Derevena in the same mountainous Tract The fourth Kossa upon a River of the same Name not far from the place where it empties it self into the Caspian Sea These Comukes are proper Men and very couragious and that which makes them more daring and adventurous than most Tartars is the goodness of their Horses and the advantage of their Arms both offensive and defensive for they seldom engage in Wars without Helmets Jacks of Steel Shirts of Mail and Targets which excepting those times wherein they fight hang behind their backs being very light and not very large and therefore not cumbersome They have as other Tartars both Bows and Cymetars and withal never go without Lances which they use with great strength and dexterity In their Apparel they differ little from the Circassians but as for Religion they are generally Mahumetans and their Language is in substance the same with other Tartars their vicinity unto the Persians Muscovites and Sheercasses having somewhat disguised it The Countrey they inhabit abounds with Wood part of it is hilly with small pleasant Valleys between the Hillocks and in some places especially towards Persia and thence into the Land it hath many great and almost inaccessible Mountains by reason of their heighth and steepness This Land was reduced under the Government of the Russes many years ago after the ensuing manner Evan Vassillywich being Czar or Emperour of Russia after he had taken Cassan and Astracan sent part of his Army into Circassia where they took in Tumeine Another Body entred the Comukes Countrey and possessed themselves of Derevena Derbeine Tarkee and Kossa The Russe Emperour constituted a Voyvod whom he ordred to reside in Tarkee and left with him 10000 Men he ordered also at the same time another considerable Brigade to stay at Coisa where he left a great number of Boats and other Vessels who had brought supplies of Men and Provisions from Mosco and other Parts of his Dominions And having as he apprehended secured his new Conquests he returned unto Mosco Immediately after his retreat the Comukes gath'red their whole Force and set down before the Town of Tarkee which after a vigorous resistance they took and in it with the Voyvod several Officers of divers Nations whom with the common Souldiers they sold unto the Circassians Tartars and other neighb'ring Nations so that few were ever afterwards recovered From Tarkee they marched unto Koisa which by the instruction of Captives they did pretty regularly besiege and assault and after some repulses took it by storm killing all the Russes excepting such as escaped in the Ships and Boats which lay before the Town The Russe Emperour being speedily informed of these Successes immediately raised a great Army with which he ordred all the Cossacks between the Don and Volga unto the River of Tumeine to joyn his Forces and assist them in order unto the recovery of what he had lost and utter extirpation of the Comukes Who hearing how highly the Czar was exasperated and how great a Force was ready to invade them they began to be solicitous about the Event and having consulted together agreed to make some kind of submission and sue for pardon and peace Whereupon they sent Ambassadors unto Tumeine where the Russe Army was encamped and after a Treaty with the Czar's Plenipotentiaries they agreed upon these Articles That the Comukes should restore the Towns they had taken and aid the Emperour with such a number of Souldiers as he should require against any Enemy whatsoever whereunto their Heads being sworn they have inviolably observed the Agreement unto this day But it 's time we take our leave of Gildar Prince of Terki and his Comukes and proceed into Shercassen Land part of which as I hinted before lyes upon the Black Sea and extends it self unto the Caspian This side of Circassia which borders upon the Caspian Sea is a very plentiful Countrey and as for Fish it is so wonderfully plentiful that in Tumeine you may ordinarily purchase a good Sturgeon for two pence and sometimes for a penny a most prodigious quantity of Fish being taken in the River of the Weestra and about the Island of Chekeine which is off at Sea not far from Tumeine On the main Land over against this Fishery 4 miles above the River of Terike there is a great Well made by a Spring which falls from a Rock on the side of a great Hill and immediately fills this little Lake which whether it is Natural or Artificial I know not The Water of this Lake is so scalding hot that the Fishers flinging in their Sturgeon or other Fish it is in a short time boyled as if over a fire the heat being so intense that no Man can detain his Hand in it for a moment from which strange Quality it derives its Name being called by the Russes Goracha Colloda or the Scalding Well I shall conclude my Discourse with a short Account of the Little Nagoy or of that part thereof which confines upon the Caspian for all that space between Tumeine and Astracan is by many ascribed unto the Nagoy Tartars I did before declare That the Little Nagoy is for the most part a wide waste Desart the worst of which is all that Tract which lyeth between Tumeine and Astracan These Tartars have no Town but only Asshowa which is not properly theirs though lying in their Countrey being possessed by the Turks There is a sort of People in this Countrey whom the Tartars call Sigakes I could never learn what their Language is or from what Place or Nation they proceed nor could I understand after what manner they live whether they have any Religion or Civil Government Their chief Subsistence is what they gain from the Tartars for they gather sometimes 2 or 3000 and rob the smaller Hords of the Tartars and those which are most remote from help But sometimes the Tartars discovering the place of their Retreat or Rendevous surround them with their Carts and then fall in cut them all off never giving Quarter unto any no Crime being so severely punished amongst the Tartars as Thievery which makes me apprehend that these Sigakes are some of their own People who formerly deserted them upon some extraordinary occasion But whatsoever is the reason